# spotted coralroot (*Corallorhiza maculata*) The spotted coralroot is a special plant that doesn't have leaves! It grows in shady forests and gets its food from the ground. Its pretty spotted flowers are a lovely sight in spring. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Forests ![spotted coralroot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Corallorhiza_maculata_10222.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corallorhiza_maculata_10222.JPG) ## Appearance The spotted coralroot is a leafless orchid with a striking yellowish-brown to purplish stem, often covered in reddish-purple spots. Its small, orchid-like flowers typically feature a white lower petal (labellum) prominently marked with distinct reddish-purple spots, setting it apart visually. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Orchidaceae - **Genus:** Corallorhiza ## Interesting facts - It 'borrows' sugar from nearby trees using a secret fungal network. - Its fascinating root system looks just like coral from the ocean! - Spotted coralroot flowers can be different colors, even green or dark red! - This orchid never opens its leaves to the sun because it doesn't have any! ## Special abilities - **Sunlight Snubber:** Spotted coralroot can grow in deep shade because it gets all its food from tiny underground fungi, not sunlight. - **Hidden Helper:** This plant has a coral-like rhizome underground that helps it connect with beneficial fungi to gather nutrients. - **Forest Blending:** Its mottled stem and spotted flowers help the coralroot blend in with dappled light and leaf litter, hiding it well. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-50 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Early Fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** lichen-like crust fungus (*Tomentella sublilacina*) — Its 'host' fungus for nutrients. - **Pollinates:** [brown-belted bumble bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) — Attracted to its flowers for nectar. - **Depends on:** Douglas-fir (*Pseudotsuga menziesii*) — Its fungal partners often grow on tree roots. ## Traits - [Mycorrhizal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mycorrhizal): This trait describes a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and the roots of a plant, benefiting both organisms. - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [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. - [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. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [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. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch wild plants, as some can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify spotted coralroot? 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 spotted coralroot? 15-50 cm ### How big are the flowers on spotted coralroot? 1-2 cm ### When does spotted coralroot bloom? Late Spring to Early Fall ### Is spotted coralroot edible? No ### Is spotted coralroot toxic? None ### What is spotted coralroot's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is spotted coralroot pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Clatsop State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clatsop-state-forest) — Oregon, US · Forest - [East Glacier Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-glacier-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Fort Hoskins](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-hoskins) — Oregon, US · Park - [Glines Canyon Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glines-canyon-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [International Peace Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-peace-garden) — US · Botanical Garden - [Point Reyes National Seashore](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/point-reyes-national-seashore) — California, US · National Park [View all places to see spotted coralroot](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spotted-coralroot) ## 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: [Spotted Coralroot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-coralroot)