Share

Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    

Calopogon tuberosus (Tuberous grasspink)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Calopogon tuberosus (L.) B.S.P.

Tuberous grasspink, Grass pink

Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

Synonyms: Calopogon pulchellus Calopogon pulchellus var. latifolius Calopogon tuberosus var. latifolius

USDA Symbol: CATU5

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Calopogon comes from the Greek words meaning beautiful beard. The prominent hairs, the beard, on the lip identify it. This species is a plant of moist areas and is most abundant in pineland bogs. It is known as grass pink because of the long, narrow, grass-like leaves. It grows 2 1/2–4 feet tall, with 2 or more flowers arranged along the stem. The blossoms are rose-pink to pale orchid and are about 2 inches across (248).

This delicate, sweet-smelling orchid often springs from peat or sphagnum moss and is easily recognized by the bearded lip petal and solitary, grass-like leaf. Its genus name is derived from the Greek for beautiful beard, and the species name is Latin for tuberous. The former species, C. pulchellus, is now considered a variety, C. tuberosus var. tuberosus. Bearded Grass Pink (C. barbatus), found from North Carolina southward, has pink flowers that all open together, whereas the flowers of C. tuberosus open successively. Pale Grass Pink (C. pallidus), found from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Louisiana, has pale pink to whitish flowers and is smaller in all respects than C. tuberosus.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft. , 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , NL , NS , PE
Native Distribution: Manitoba east to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Bogs and bog meadows and acidic, sandy or gravelly sites.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N), SPM(N)

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally

Search More Titles in Bibliography

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1989 VOL. 6, NO.2 - Wildflower Network Operates in Louisiana, Wildflower Handbook Published, Researc...

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Calopogon tuberosus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Calopogon tuberosus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Calopogon tuberosus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-10-07
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back