I found this orchid seed head in a swampy area of my woods on April 14:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GDk-Qy5hosDKDGv3AG-P4jmMYFyZroPaEf3mmHfh-CR-lm_xulYkYXifjgOTy62BKL9DVXs5yexgyDbW6hKpo1vKXJyktg1IXfn92X007Gp83i_tncq5_SiFEdHaNdeJCORBL-bq26w/s640/20190414_130245+%25282%2529.jpg)
I put it on iNaturalist, and we were able to narrow it down to the coralroot genus (Corallorhiza).
New shoots were just barely peeking up. I would never have noticed if they hadn't been at the base of the seed pods:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQyTSwaKQDPBLLBcGs7CptF0xjwJOoRSZyXQ9KDeD765b_-72sWzLMaVYzfS9RJ_Th2TKN1r_ooyxLaNS9wiJCFgg1UJTDI-2LDwnFp3TgRb5ZYOWazsNwHFIBSHs1ZokYiWWsc8eaTHc/s640/20190414_130339.jpg)
May 6, coming along:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCLgUMN-poCfKJ2Trr5hEhqaDmc39pOKCk6wfXA18vOUKCnihw1Jf-KMx9TCqrdTepxNrlHKDym9ylF0muE4wZX_dyIlAb1o0FrjfJ1hyphenhyphenh4_ySki50zO2-PI9rzmtxu2xLKBhyJUasig/s640/20190506_160138+%25282%2529.jpg)
By May 19th, they were in bud. Don't they look like tiny asparagus? Based on the timing of the buds, I was able to ID them as early/yellow coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcxgYsmE88hr3NpmR2Y1gsG-hHeAAGMdqxhdAQ9czNQvvajzG_sTlW-dG5_jTzawv1L_U71ciuC1Su1vzQuTOhu6KlVY-8aKOKt8cqz1lPLGVW4fCLt8Jdv4xnOsWzJ3wLJeDWg7fDnY/s640/20190519_124318+%25281%2529.jpg)
On May 27th, they were finally blooming! I know they aren't showy, but there are at least 200 of them, and they're state ranked as S3 - Uncommon in New Hampshire. My most exciting find so far!:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgjfSq5L6L98JN5X1ntQDKnmW8dEFxWbtRru0W42JRXm7PG1E-xYtiIxa6ADXV09D2mvUl9f_T5gQhf8hFuBS8FAV40pJ1NHJj5CGvxX11PvMWY31lIQ-R0FW6OTMn5WTFBUlo6Lql98/s640/20190527_124228+%25282%2529.jpg)
Here's a close-up of the tiny flower:
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