The Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea) is also known as Prairie Fringed Orchid, Prairie Orchid, Prairie White-fringed Orchid, and White-fringed Orchid. It is one of the largest and showiest of at least 200 North American orchid species. This plant is a perennial orchid, with an upright leafy stem that grows up to 47 inches high from an underground tuber. Its lance- shaped leaves sheath the stem and are two to eight inches long - growing larger toward the stem base. The 5 to 40 creamy white flowers extend above the leaves and are about one inch long. The nocturnally fragrant flowers attract Hawkmoths that feed on nectar and transfer pollen from flower to flower and plant to plant.

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