America's Orchids - Early Coral Root

Early Coral Root (Corallorhiza trifida) is a native orchid that grows throughout the northern half of the United States. This orchid is also known as green coral root, northern coralroot and yellow coralroot. Early coral root is a member of the Orchidaceae family and is sometimes classified as Corallorhiza trifida Châtel. There are at least three varieties: Corallorhiza trifida Châtel. var. trifida, Corallorhiza trifida Châtel. var. verna (Nutt.) Fernald, and Corallorhiza trifida Châtel. var. virescens (Farr) Fernald.

This sweet orchid has no leaves and pale yellow and white flowers with yellow-green petals and sepals that appear in groups at the top of delicate stems. Each stem can support up to 15 flowers. On some plants the flowers can be tinted green or purple.

Early coral root is found growing in woodlands in moderately shady conditions. The plant prefers moist, mineral-rich soil, and is seen by creeks and in marshes and bogs. In Ohio, the early coral root is rare, but is sometimes seen in pine forests and damp thickets. The plant is very shade tolerant.

The flowers appear in late spring to early summer and set seed by mid-summer. The stalks grow up from the forest floor with only a slight sheathing at the base of the stalk. They are easy to miss
in the woods as their height is only 4 to 12 inches. They can form small colonies.

Early coral root is not drought tolerant. The plant will die if the soil becomes dry. The root structure is a rhizome and is usually cloaked by mycorrhizal fungi that provide some symbiotic relationship. Like many wild flowers, trifida does not transplant. A combination of favorable factors must come together for the orchid to bloom, such as temperature, moisture, and light. Some plants do not bloom in a given year, but will send up many stalks in another year. The early coral root is on the endangered list in Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, and Rhode Island.

The orchid is thought to self-polinate. There are no easy sources in the trade to purchase early coral root. In most areas, it is illegal to dig up or pick wild flowers. Have permission from the property owner before collecting and stalks with ripe seed.