How to Grow and Care for Helleborines

Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) is a common woodland orchid that grows from 30 to 91 cm tall. In late summer to early fall, greenish-purple flowers bloom along the stem attracting mature bees and their offspring to its heady nectar. Grows well in shaded areas, along roadsides or in woodland areas.

Marsh helleborine's Latin name, Epipactis palustris, roughly translates to 'grow above the marsh', which it indeed does. Due to its beautiful blooms, marsh helleborine is often planted in cottage gardens and beside streams and ponds where it thrives. It is an important plant for wildlife – deer like to eat it.

Stream orchid (Epipactis gigantea) is one of the most common orchids on North America's Pacific coast and can be found from British Columbia to Mexico. It prefers high altitudes, and is frequently grown as a decorative plant. This species is also known as giant helleborine and chatterbox.

This beautiful orchid lives in a symbiotic relationship with the fungi of the Pezizales order, exchanging essential nutrients. Its habitat is associated with limestone and disturbed soils. It is pollinated by bees and butterflies, which can be often seen buzzing around the flower.

Small-leaved helleborine (Epipactis microphylla) is a species of orchid that prefers dark, shaded forest habitats and is often found growing under Beech or Hazel trees. This is a self-supporting type of orchid with an overall downy, hairy look and somewhat dull overall coloration, which makes the plant tricky to spot in its natural habitat.