Epipactis gigantea

Epipactis gigantea, also known as the Helleborine, is a large and hardy terrestrial orchid that produces typical orchid flower spikes, combining brown, orange-yellow, and red colours. This unique spring to summer flowering lasts several weeks. It is equally beautiful in slightly damp flowerbeds as well as on the banks by water, and it also thrives in pots. It prefers moist to wet, light, slightly acidic soils, in full sun, or partial shade.

Epipactis gigantea is a plant belonging to the orchid family. This botanical species is native to the western states of the USA and northern Mexico. In the wild, it grows along watercourses in constantly wet to damp humus-rich soils. It is a perennial plant with fleshy rhizomes, easily reaching 70-80 cm (28-32in) in height and 40 cm (16in) in width. Its deciduous vegetation emerges from the ground in spring and disappears in autumn. It has four to twelve sheathing and lanceolate leaves measuring 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6in) long, from which a terminal inflorescence emerges, displaying up to 15 flowers with a diameter of 3.5 cm (1in). They bloom from May to June to July. Each flower has three light brown or greenish sepals veined with darker lines and two reddish-brown petals veined with purple. The labellum is cup-shaped with a pointed protuberance, brighter and more distinctly veined in reddish-brown, often marked with yellow. The flowering is followed by the formation of a pendant capsule measuring 2 to 3 cm (1in) long, containing thousands of small seeds.

Epipactis gigantea is a unique, yet natural-looking plant that is easy to incorporate into damp flowerbeds or along water bodies, alongside Japanese primroses, Euphorbia palustris, or even astilbes that thrive in the same conditions. It also grows well in pots without any special protection.

When you receive your orchids, handle them with care: these plants have few roots and are delicate!