# Striped Coralroot (*Corallorhiza striata*) Striped Coralroot is a special plant that grows in shady forests. It doesn't have leaves like most plants, but it has beautiful striped flowers that look like tiny orchids! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Striped Coralroot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Corallorhiza_striata_3761f.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corallorhiza_striata_3761f.JPG) ## Appearance The Striped Coralroot has striking purplish-brown to yellowish-green stems, often with darker stripes. Its small, hood-shaped flowers are striped with purple or reddish veins on a white or yellowish background, making it look quite distinct from other forest orchids. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Orchidaceae - **Genus:** Corallorhiza ## Interesting facts - It's a member of the orchid family, known for its beautiful and complex flowers! - Spotting a Striped Coralroot is a special treat, as it only blooms for a few weeks a year! - The Striped Coralroot can live for many years, even though its above-ground stem is short-lived! - This tricky plant sometimes grows in clusters, making a small patch of striped forest magic! ## Special abilities - **Fungi Feeder:** Striped Coralroot can secretly steal nutrients from underground fungi, allowing it to grow without needing sunlight! - **Root Network:** It has coral-like underground rhizomes that form a strong network, helping it store energy and regenerate each year. - **Pollinator Lure:** Its uniquely striped petals guide tiny forest insects directly to its pollen, ensuring successful pollination. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-40 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring-early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Parasitizes:** Short-stemmed Russula (*Russula brevipes*) — It steals nutrients from this fungus via forest trees. - **Depends on:** [Douglas Fir](https://www.snappit.app/explore/douglas-fir) (*Pseudotsuga menziesii*) — It indirectly relies on nutrients from this tree's roots. - **Pollinates:** Viereck's Sweat Bee (*Lasioglossum vierecki*) — This tiny bee helps transfer pollen between its flowers. ## 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. - [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of 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. - [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. - [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 but don't touch plants in the wild. Some can be delicate or harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Striped 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 Striped Coralroot? 10-40 cm ### How big are the flowers on Striped Coralroot? 1-2 cm ### When does Striped Coralroot bloom? Spring-early summer ### Is Striped Coralroot edible? No ### Is Striped Coralroot toxic? None ### What is Striped Coralroot's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Striped Coralroot pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Devil's Kitchen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/devils-kitchen) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [E. Martin Hennings House and Studio Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/e-martin-hennings-house-and-studio-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Glines Canyon Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glines-canyon-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Taos Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/taos-downtown-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Lockhart Beach Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lockhart-beach-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Striped Coralroot](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/striped-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: [Striped Coralroot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/striped-coralroot)