Flower profile

Showy orchis

Galearis spectabilis

Native in the lower 48

Showy orchis is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native 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 April–May.

32states

4of our state lists

12,848U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia

Quick look

Galearis spectabilis, commonly known as showy orchis or showy orchid, is an orchid species of the genus Galearis. It is native to eastern Canada and much of the eastern half of the United States. In the United States they are found from eastern Oklahoma north to eastern South Dakota in the west and from Atlanta, Georgia and North Alabama north up into Maine to the east.
From Wikipedia's article Galearis spectabilis, 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 native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Maryland. ^NatureServe
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,327 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #70 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,069 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #83 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,794 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #64 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. ^iNaturalist

Showy orchis gift ideas

Handmade showy orchis gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,187 records)

Bloom time in each of our 4 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	Native	April–May	2,327
Virginia	Native	April–May	2,069
Tennessee	Native	April	1,794
Maryland	Native	April–May	1,742

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
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S4, apparently 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: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
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}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S2), MA (S1), ME (S1), MI (S2), MS (S1), NE (S1), NH (S2), RI (S1). (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 peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{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 showy orchis in 32 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

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Clay, Durham, Forsyth, Graham, Granville, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Mitchell, Orange, Polk, Rockingham, Stokes, Swain, Transylvania, Wake, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, York.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Blount, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Knox, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Polk, Rhea, Sevier, Sullivan, Van Buren, White.

More North Carolina flowers

Pink lady's slipper

Cypripedium acaule

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Crane-fly orchid

Tipularia discolor

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Downy rattlesnake plantain

Goodyera pubescens

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🌼 Blooms in NC: July–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GASP5.
iNaturalist, Galearis spectabilis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Galearis spectabilis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Galearis spectabilis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Connor McInerney via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.