Orchidaceae
Nodding lady's tresses
Spiranthes cernua
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Spiranthes
Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Common names
By language (6)
- Arabic
- لولوبة منحنية, لولوبة باركسية
- Chinese
- 俯花綬草, 俯花绶草, 垂花綬草, 庭园绶草, 庭園綬草
- English
- Nodding lady's tresses, Navasota ladies-tresses, Navasota lady's tresses
- French
- Spiranthe penchée
- Persian
- اسپیرانتس سرنوآ
- Spanish
- Trenzas de damas nudosa
Synonyms
- Gyrostachys cernua (L.) Kuntze
- Gyrostachys constricta Small
- Ibidium cernuum Bouse
- Ibidium cernuum (L.) House
- Limodorum autumnale Walter
- Neottia cernua (L.) Sw.
- Neottia cernuua (L.) Willd.
- Ophrys cernua L.
- Spiranthes annua Lesq.
- Spiranthes annua Lesq. ex Branner & Coville
- Spiranthes cernua var. cernua
- Spiranthes cernua var. ochroleuca Ames
- Spiranthes constricta (Small) K.Schum.
- Spiranthes parksii Correll
- Spiranthes petiolaris Raf.
- Triorchis cernuus (L.) Nieuwl.
- Triorchos cernuus (L.) Nieuwl.
Flowers
- In flower
- September to October (from 319 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
- Flower colour
- white (USDA PLANTS Database)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native
Photos
FlowerPhoto: Bonnie Semmling, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Laura J. Costello, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Gus, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Erin Lalime, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Monaki, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Nicholas Wei, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Connor Wood, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: saltyhiker, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist Photo: Neil Schulz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Spiranthes
- Autumn lady's-tressesSpiranthes spiralisOrchidaceae
- Summer lady's-tressesSpiranthes aestivalisOrchidaceae
- Chinese spiranthesSpiranthes sinensisOrchidaceae
- Hooded lady's tressesSpiranthes romanzoffianaOrchidaceae
- Shining lady's tressesSpiranthes lucidaOrchidaceae
- Yellow nodding lady's tressesSpiranthes ochroleucaOrchidaceae
- Spring lady's tressesSpiranthes vernalisOrchidaceae
- Marsh lady's tressesSpiranthes odorataOrchidaceae
- Texas lady's tressesSpiranthes brevilabrisOrchidaceae
- Case's lady's tressesSpiranthes caseiOrchidaceae
- Eaton's lady's tressesSpiranthes eatoniiOrchidaceae
- Ash Meadows lady's tressesSpiranthes infernalisOrchidaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.