Scientific name: Epipactis helleborine
Family: ORCHIDACEAE
Common names: “Broad-leaved helleborine”
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Conditions:
Zone: 3-9
Light: Deep shade
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Almost any soil including heavy clay
Moisture: Wet – dry
Aesthetic:
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Plant Size: H 6-12″ W 3-6″
Leaf and Stem shape: Simple shiney oblong leaves with prominant parallel viens
Flower: Inflorescence terminal green-purple flowers in June – September, followed by black ellipsoid fruit
Maintenance: Low, best left alone
Landscape use: Woodland grove, around streams and ponds, tree and shrub underplanting
Propagate: By rhizomes
Pests & Disease: Nothing serious, may be eaten by slugs and other woodland critters
Comments: Difficult to contain, can disappear for a year and then pop up, European native with a large worldwide range including most of North America, most commonly found under the canopy of trees
