# crane-fly orchid (*Tipularia discolor*) The crane-fly orchid is a special flower that looks like a tiny crane in flight! It has beautiful greenish flowers that bloom in the spring, often hiding in the woods. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Forests ![crane-fly orchid](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cranefly_orchid.JPG&width=800) Photo: TheAlphaWolf, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cranefly_orchid.JPG) ## Appearance The crane-fly orchid has a single, ribbed leaf that is dark green on top and rich purple underneath. Its tall, slender stalk bears small, greenish-brown flowers with thin petals that resemble tiny crane-flies. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Orchidaceae - **Genus:** Tipularia ## Interesting facts - Its scientific name, discolor, means "two colors" because its leaf is green on top and purple underneath! - Some people say its tiny flowers smell like sweet apples or spicy cloves! - This sneaky orchid often disappears in spring, leaving no trace until its flower stalk pops up in summer! - Unlike many plants, it grows its leaf in the fall and keeps it all winter long! ## Special abilities - **Winter Warrior Leaf:** The crane-fly orchid grows a single leaf in fall that survives all winter, soaking up sun when tree leaves are gone! - **Nighttime Nectar Beacon:** Its small, greenish-brown flowers open at night and release a sweet scent to guide long-tongued moths in the darkness. - **Underground Food Bank:** This orchid has a hidden chain of round, starchy tubers beneath the soil, storing food for years like a secret pantry! ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-60 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Black Cutworm Moth (*Agrotis ipsilon*) — Moth pollinates orchid by visiting its night-blooming flowers. - **Symbiotic with:** Tulasnella Fungus (*Tulasnella calospora*) — Fungus helps orchid absorb nutrients from the soil for survival. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer may browse on the orchid's leaves or flower stalks. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Symbiotic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/symbiotic): Describes a relationship between two different species where they live in close association, often benefiting one or both. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look at flowers from a distance and never pick them without permission. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify crane-fly orchid? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is crane-fly orchid? 30-60 cm ### How wide does crane-fly orchid spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on crane-fly orchid? 1-1.5 cm ### When does crane-fly orchid bloom? Summer ### Is crane-fly orchid edible? No ### Is crane-fly orchid toxic? None ### What is crane-fly orchid's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Adkins Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/adkins-arboretum) — Maryland, US · Botanical Garden - [Bernheim Forest and Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bernheim-forest-and-arboretum) — Kentucky, US · Botanical Garden - [Blackstone Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Catoctin Furnace](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/catoctin-furnace) — Maryland, US · Historic Site - [Chopawamsic RDA Camp 2](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chopawamsic-rda-camp-2) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Conway-Robinson Memorial State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/conway-robinson-memorial-state-forest) — Virginia, US · Forest [View all places to see crane-fly orchid](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/crane-fly-orchid) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Crane-fly Orchid: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crane-fly-orchid)