Isotria verticillata , commonly known as the large whorled pogonia, is a terrestrial flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family. Five wide stalkless leaves at the end of a stem growing up to 15 inches tall surround the flower. The large whorled pogonia produces green or yellow blooms with three long madder-purple sepals during late spring and early summer. This plant can mainly be found in dry areas of rich acidic soils including forests, woodlands, and occasionally in bogs where it can grow in sun, part shade and shade. Native to Canada and the United States its range spans south from Nova Scotia into the middle and eastern United States to Texas and Florida in the suitable woodland conditions.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Obovate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Whorl of five wide stalkless leaves at end of a 4-12 in. stem; parallel veins
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower shape
Lipped
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Single, lipped, greenish yellow flower with three long madder-purple sepals; 1.5-2.5 in. long; arise from center of the leaf whorl from late spring to early summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
South East Ontario to Central & Eastern U.S.A
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Woodland
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Shade Garden
Garden tags
#NC native #spring interest #native garden #orchid #delicate flowers #native wildflower #flowers late spring #flowers early summer #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #heavy shade tolerant #acidic soils tolerant #rich soils #boggy sites #woodland #wildflower