# Heartleaf Twayblade (*Neottia cordata*) The Heartleaf Twayblade is a small, lovely plant with heart-shaped leaves. It grows quietly in the shade of forests and has pretty flowers that look like tiny bells. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Heartleaf Twayblade](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Listera_cordata_130506.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bernd Haynold, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Listera_cordata_130506.jpg) ## Appearance The Heartleaf Twayblade is a small, slender orchid with two heart-shaped leaves low on its stem, typically a dull green or yellowish-green. Its delicate stalk bears tiny, greenish-brown to purplish flowers that are easily overlooked, often resembling miniature insects. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Orchidaceae - **Genus:** Neottia ## Interesting facts - Heartleaf Twayblade can live for many years, quietly hidden on the forest floor. - Its name 'twayblade' refers to its two prominent leaves, a unique trait! - Some say its miniature flowers look like tiny little people with outstretched arms! - This tiny orchid doesn't need much sunlight, thriving in deep, shady forests. ## Special abilities - **Fungal Friend:** Heartleaf Twayblade has a special connection with fungi that helps it gather nutrients from the soil, even in dim light. - **Forest Camouflage:** Heartleaf Twayblade's dull colors and small stature help it blend perfectly with the forest floor, hiding from hungry creatures. - **Tiny Bee-Bait:** Heartleaf Twayblade attracts minute insects like gnats with its small, unassuming flowers to help it reproduce. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs sometimes munch on its tender leaves. - **Pollinates:** Fungus gnat (*Mycetophila fungorum*) — This tiny gnat helps transfer pollen between flowers. - **Symbiotic with:** Mycorrhizal fungus (*Tulasnella calospora*) — This fungus shares nutrients with the orchid, helping it grow. ## Traits - [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell. - [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. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [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. - [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. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Threatened](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/threatened): Threatened status denotes a species likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future without effective conservation interventions. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not touch or pick wild plants without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Heartleaf Twayblade? 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 Heartleaf Twayblade? 5-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on Heartleaf Twayblade? 0.2-0.5 cm ### When does Heartleaf Twayblade bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is Heartleaf Twayblade edible? No ### Is Heartleaf Twayblade toxic? None ### What is Heartleaf Twayblade's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Heartleaf Twayblade pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Swiftcurrent Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/swiftcurrent-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Sooke Mountain Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sooke-mountain-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State 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: [Heartleaf Twayblade: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/heartleaf-twayblade)