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The Yellow Fringed Orchid is another one of those spectacular plants we'd all love to see. This photo came to me courtesy of Rebecca Brown, who has a nursery in West Virginia and her own flower site (see below).

My RAB reference describes three types of yellow orchids: Habenaria ciliaris (Yellow Fringed), Habenaria integra (Yellow Fringeless), and Habenaria cristata (Crested Fringed). Based on habitat description, if you are in the mountains you are probably seeing H. ciliaris. The other two are more likely to be found in boggy lowlands, and H. integra is a rare plant of the swamps and pine barrens farther south. I have seen this orchid only once - and did not have a camera with me. It was located in the Standing Indian Basin of the Nantahalas,at quite low elevation and in a somewhat damp but sunny spot by the side of the road! The patch I saw was deep orange in color - but these orchids can range from yellow to shades of orange. Since Becky sent me the picture from West Virginia, that's proof it grows throughout the Blue Ridge, but it's still unusual to actually find them in bloom. Once you do, you don't forget it! Check out Becky's site at:
http://www.geocities.com/rebeccabrown70/appalachiangreenhouse/index.html