Flower profile

Broad-leaved helleborine

Epipactis helleborine

Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) is a flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Broad-leaved helleborine is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

30states where USDA records it

4Bloomipedia state lists include it

24,241U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, Michigan, New York, Vermont

Quick look

Epipactis helleborine, the broad-leaved helleborine, is a terrestrial species of orchid with a broad distribution. It is a long lived herb which varies morphologically with ability to self-pollinate.
From Wikipedia's article Epipactis helleborine, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Orchidaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to New York, Michigan, Vermont and Maine. ^NatureServe
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
In Michigan, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,380 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #65 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,276 research-grade sightings of it in Michigan, ranking #37 among the 172 flowers on our Michigan list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,952 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #33 among the 159 flowers on our Vermont list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,381 records)

Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New York	Introduced	July–August	3,380
Michigan	Introduced	July–August	3,276
Vermont	Introduced	July–August	1,952
Maine	Introduced	July–August	1,007

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 4 states.

See each state

New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}

Rare elsewhere

No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records broad-leaved helleborine in 30 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Suffolk, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming, Yates.

Michigan counties with USDA records: Benzie, Berrien, Genesee, Gogebic, Ingham, Kent, Leelanau, Midland, Ontonagon, St. Clair.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Epipactis latifolia, Serapias helleborine.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 198 counties across 25 states; the most are in New York (54), Pennsylvania (34), New Jersey (13).

More from the Orchidaceae family (23 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Pink lady's slipper, Crane-fly orchid, Downy rattlesnake plantain, Western rattlesnake plantain, Spotted coralroot, Showy orchis, Putty root, White bog orchid.

More New York flowers

Pink lady's slipper

Cypripedium acaule

★ NH state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in NY: May–June

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: August–October

Common milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile EPHE.
iNaturalist, Epipactis helleborine: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Epipactis helleborine (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Epipactis helleborine (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Tom Norton via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.