Bloomipedia
Crane-fly orchid (Tipularia discolor)
Photo: Elizabeth Green via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Crane-fly orchid

Tipularia discolor

Crane-fly orchid (Tipularia discolor) is a flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Crane-fly orchid is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 13 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

25states where USDA records it
13Bloomipedia state lists include it
36,481U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Tipularia discolor, the crippled cranefly or crane-fly orchid, is a perennial terrestrial woodland orchid, a member of the family Orchidaceae. It is the only species of the genus Tipularia found in North America. It occurs in the southeastern United States from Texas to Florida, the range extending north into the Ohio Valley and along the Appalachians as far north as the Catskills.

  • 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 native in the lower 48 states and records it in 25 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. iNaturalist
  • In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 9,503 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #1 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 6,022 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #16 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 5,362 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #12 among the 189 flowers on our Maryland list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,760 records)
Bloom time in the 13 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
North CarolinaNativeJuly–August9,503
VirginiaNativeJuly–August6,022
MarylandNativeJuly–August5,362
GeorgiaNativeJuly–August2,882
TennesseeNativeJuly–August2,637
KentuckyNativeJuly–August1,633
AlabamaNativeJuly–August1,217
South CarolinaNativefew records (36)1,145
IndianaNativeJuly–August873
ArkansasNativefew records (47)652
West VirginiaNativefew records (18)483
MississippiNativefew records (6)381
DelawareNativefew records (18)320

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 7 of our 13 states.
See each state
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S5, secure in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in West Virginia.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (S1), IL (S1), MA (S1), MI (S1), NY (S1), OK (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Corms are edible” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 crane-fly orchid in 25 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Avery, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Cleveland, Cumberland, Dare, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hyde, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, York.

Maryland counties with USDA records: Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Mary's.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Tipularia unifolia.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 558 counties across 26 states; the most are in Virginia (81), Kentucky (76), North Carolina (73).

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

More North Carolina flowers

Downy rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens)

Downy rattlesnake plantain

Goodyera pubescens

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: July–August
Pink lady's slipper (Cypripedium acaule)

Pink lady's slipper

Cypripedium acaule

★ NH state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in NC: April–May
Showy orchis (Galearis spectabilis)

Showy orchis

Galearis spectabilis

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: April–May

Sources