# Greater butterfly-orchid (*Platanthera chlorantha*) The Greater butterfly-orchid is a beautiful flower that looks like a tiny butterfly! It grows in grassy places and has lovely greenish-white petals that attract many insects. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Greater butterfly-orchid](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Platanthera_chlorantha_LC0225.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jörg Hempel, CC BY-SA 3.0 de · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Platanthera_chlorantha_LC0225.jpg) ## Appearance The Greater butterfly-orchid has a tall, slender stem topped with a spike of greenish-white or yellowish-white flowers. Its broad, glossy green basal leaves emerge from the base. Each flower features a distinctive, long, downward-pointing spur, differentiating it from similar orchids. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Orchidaceae - **Genus:** Platanthera ## Interesting facts - It can live for many years, patiently waiting for the perfect conditions to bloom. - Its scientific name, Platanthera, means 'flat anther,' describing its unique pollen sacs! - Look closely! Its flowers have a long 'tail' called a spur where nectar collects for moths! - This orchid relies on a tiny, hidden fungus to help it grow its first root underground! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Beacon:** Greater butterfly-orchid has a super-long spur to offer nectar, luring long-tongued moths that help it reproduce. - **Night Perfume:** Greater butterfly-orchid releases a sweet fragrance at dusk, attracting nocturnal hawk-moths for pollination. - **Pollen Delivery System:** Greater butterfly-orchid has sticky pollen masses (pollinia) perfectly placed to attach to a moth's head, ensuring pollen transfer. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-70 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Hummingbird Hawk-moth](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hummingbird-hawk-moth) (*Macroglossum stellatarum*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** Elephant Hawk-moth (*Deilephila elpenor*) — attracted to its sweet evening scent - **Symbiotic with:** A Tulasnella fungus (*Tulasnella calospora*) — provides vital nutrients to the orchid seedling ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [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. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [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. - [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 Don't pick flowers; they are best enjoyed in nature! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Greater butterfly-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 Greater butterfly-orchid? 30-70 cm ### How big are the flowers on Greater butterfly-orchid? 1-2 cm ### When does Greater butterfly-orchid bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is Greater butterfly-orchid edible? No ### Is Greater butterfly-orchid toxic? None ### What is Greater butterfly-orchid's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Greater butterfly-orchid pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ordesa-y-monte-perdido-national-park) — Aragon, ES · National Park ## 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: [Greater butterfly-orchid: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greater-butterfly-orchid)