Orchis graminafolia: Z 6-9 Average hight is 6 inches.This is a a small and easy orchid with showy purple, white, pink and bi-colored blooms. These are great rock garden plants. They can bloom from spring and into late summer
Pleione formosana: Z 7-10. This is an easy orchid from high elevations in Taiwan. Water them liberally during the growing season. Reduce watering in the fall and winter. Plant them in a protected location under trees or shrubs, on logs or close to a building.
Pleone limprichittii: Z 7-10 This is a deciduous epiphytic, lithophitic and terrestrial orchid from China. This plant likes to be protected in the winter from hard freezes. Protect from winter wet. It enjoys moist but well drained soil in part shade. The bright exotic blooms emerge in the spring before the new leaves appear. The blooms are up to three inches across and are magenta with a mottled lip. In the wild they grow on moss covered rocks in mild and cool forests.
Pleone vesuvian: Z 7-10This has large pind flowers with red markings. This is often fragrant and is a vigorous hybrid between (P. bulbocodioides x P. confusa).
Spiranthes cernua (Nodding Ladies Tresses): North American Native. The leaves are grass like and produce a tall spike which blooms are formed. The blooms are white and rather inconspicuous but are very fragrant. They prefer wet conditions in part shade.
Hardy orchids for the garden
Phaius flavus: Z 8-9 This is an easy orchid from southern Japan. The showy yellow blooms are formed on twelve inch spikes above heavily pleated large leaves. The psudobulbs are above ground which means that they should be protected with mulch during hard winters.
Orchis aristata: Z 5-9 This is a larger Orchis with rose pink bloomes in summer. Prefers moist well drained soil in part shade. Many Orchis blooms resemble human figures.
Platanthera blephariglotis (Large White Fringed Orchid): Z 5-9 N.A.Native. This is a robust species with 30-50 white flowers on a spike. In the wild it grows in wet bogs.