This plant has been volunteering in my garden for a few years. I have been removing it, concerned that it may be an invasive weed. I have a few of them right now. They are about to flower Is it plant something that I should enjoy or eradicate? Thank you Gary
I don't know this plant, but have looked it up to get the botanical name listed. On the E-Flora BC Atlas Page (ubc.ca) page, it mentions under similar species: Epipactis helleborine is a distinctive species which is only likely to be mistaken in the wild for the native Epipactis gigantea. A number of key characteristics separate these two species. The flowers of E. gigantea are large, the sepals and petals are 12-20 mm long, and the lips are 14-20 mm long and grooved to the tip (Douglas et al. 2001). The flowers of E. helleborine are smaller, the sepals and petals are 8-13 mm long, and the lips are 10-12 mm long and more or less flat above the middle (Douglas et al. 2001). Modifed from text by the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre, Species and Ecosysems Explorer, 2010.It's not listed as invasive (yet?), just of Exotic origin. Note that E. gigantea is native here.
I might have looked forever and not found it. I guess is that your "think" was not much of a "guess". I Googled it and confirmed your suggestion, then got out my garden sheers and snipped off (per Google recommendation) all but one of them. I would like to get a good look at the flowers on the (hopefully) last one before it gets clear-cut, probably several times per Google. I have no idea where it came from, but my garden does not need any more invasive species that include ground elder or the very pretty, but prolifically self seeding alstroemeria. My garden friendly and winter hardy terrestrial orchid, bletilla, however is a keeper. Thank you very much / Gary
