Small Whorled Pogonia

“The Rarest Orchid East of the Mississippi” and the Importance of Finding It

How can any plant be rare when we see a mosaic of green everywhere we look? Well, according to the U.S. Forest Service, 8,500+ species, or one third of our native plants, are considered to be rare in the United States. In recent field work, Dylan Hackett and Scotty Smith, with the help of Zach Irick from SGI and Hannah Lieffring, set out to find the elusive Small Whorled Pogonia (Isotria medeoloides), considered the rarest orchid east of the Mississippi. There have been only three observed and recorded populations in Tennessee, one of which is in Hamilton County.