Bloomipedia
White bog orchid (Platanthera dilatata)
Photo: Jared Shorma via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

White bog orchid

Platanthera dilatata

Native in the lower 48

White bog orchid 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 June–August.

26states
4of our state lists
11,578U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Quick look

Platanthera dilatata, known as tall white bog orchid, bog candle, or boreal bog orchid is a species of orchid, a flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, native to North America. It was first formally described in 1813 by Frederick Traugott Pursh as Orchis dilatata.

  • 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 26 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. NatureServe
  • In Alaska, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 919 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #50 among the 108 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 768 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #53 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 544 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #50 among the 107 flowers on our Wyoming list. iNaturalist

White bog orchid gift ideas

Handmade white bog orchid 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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    White bog orchid art print

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    White bog orchid greeting card

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    White bog orchid mug

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    White bog orchid earrings

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    White bog orchid embroidery pattern

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    White bog orchid sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,152 records)
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
AlaskaNativeJune–August919
MontanaNativeJune–August768
WyomingNativeJune–August544
IdahoNativeJune–August446

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
Alaska
No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Montana
No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Montana.
Wyoming
No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (SH), IL (S1), IN (SX), MA (S2), NM (S2), PA (S1), SD (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 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 white bog orchid in 26 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians East, Aleutians West, Anchorage, Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Dillingham, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Sitka, Yakutat.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Carbon, Fremont, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Sublette, Teton.

More Alaska flowers

Western rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia)

Western rattlesnake plantain

Goodyera oblongifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms: July–September
Spotted coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata)

Spotted coralroot

Corallorhiza maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms: May–July
Pacific coralroot (Corallorhiza mertensiana)

Pacific coralroot

Corallorhiza mertensiana

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in AK

Sources