How to Grow and Care for Coral root

A North American orchid, spotted coralroot does not have any chlorophyll. It is parasitic in nature. It has no leaves and, instead, grows many intricate flowers on it's reddish to cream-colored stems. Spotted coralroot only grows a few inches tall.

Pacific coralroot (*Corallorhiza mertensiana*) is a plant that is indigenous to northwestern North America. Other names for it include Mertens’ coralroot and western coralroot. It is a parasitic orchid, which means it draws nutrients from a host plant. Its hosts are ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Hooded coralroot (Corallorhiza striata) is indigenous to North America. It grows in rotting material in forests. It doesn’t use photosynthesis to meet its nutritional requirements. Instead, it uses a process known as “mycoheterotrophy.” What this means is the orchid gets its food by being a parasite of certain fungi.

Spring coralroot (Corallorhiza wisteriana) is a terrestrial orchid that grows straight out of the ground and has no chlorophyll, deriving its nutrition from the roots of other plants. It blooms from winter to spring with brownish-green flowers that are accented with purple spots.

Autumn coralroot is a member of the orchid family, found in woodlands and plantations. It does not photosynthesize as it lacks chlorophyll, instead parasitizing mushrooms. This herbaceous wildflower blooms in the late summer and early fall but the flowers are not showy, since the plant does not rely on insects for pollination. Its name, Corallorhiza odontorhiza, refers to its coral-red underground stems.