Greenhood orchid
Pterostylis, family Orchidaceae
A genus of hooded terrestrial orchids from Australia and nearby islands
Greenhood orchids are terrestrial herbs with distinctive hooded flowers, mostly green with stripes. Native across Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and nearby islands, they grow from tubers and are known for their unique pollination mechanism involving tiny flies.
- Flowers have a hood (galea) covering reproductive parts
- Pollinated by tiny flies that get briefly trapped
- Grow from annual tubers in diverse habitats
- Found across Australia, NZ, New Guinea and islands
- About 300 species, mostly in Australia
What does Greenhood orchid look like?
Greenhood orchids have a distinctive hood-like structure called a galea, formed by the fused dorsal sepal and two petals, which covers the flower’s sexual parts. The flowers are mostly green, often striped with brown, reddish or white. Two lateral sepals form pointed 'ears' at the front. A single modified petal becomes the labellum, which moves during pollination. The plant grows from a spherical underground tuber and has either a rosette of leaves or leaves along the stem.
Where does Greenhood orchid come from?
European botanists first observed Pterostylis near Botany Bay in 1770, though early specimens were lost. The genus was formally established by Robert Brown in the early 1800s based on Australian and Tasmanian collections. It is native to Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia and Seram Island in Indonesia. The name comes from Greek words for 'wing' and 'pillar', referring to the winged column inside the flower.
When and how Greenhood orchid blooms
Greenhood orchids grow from tubers that last one year before dying, replaced by new tubers formed during the growing season. They thrive in temperate habitats like grassland, heath, woodland and forest, sometimes in semi-arid zones near rocks. In tropical areas, they grow at higher altitudes. Most species go dormant during harsh conditions, surviving underground until rain and cooler temperatures return.
Kinds of Greenhood orchid
About 300 species are recognised, with roughly 200 formally described. Taxonomic revisions in the early 2000s proposed splitting the genus into multiple genera based on morphology and DNA, but later molecular studies supported keeping Pterostylis as a single, monophyletic group with two subgenera, distinguished by whether their lateral sepals bend sharply downward or curve backward.
What Greenhood orchid means
Greenhoods are notable for their unusual pollination: tiny flies or mosquitoes enter the flower and trigger the labellum to snap forward, temporarily trapping the insect. As it struggles to escape, it picks up or deposits pollen. This active trapping mechanism, combined with the galea, is unique among orchids. They are grown by enthusiasts in pots with well-drained mix and require dry dormancy periods.
Questions people ask about Greenhood orchid
Where do greenhood orchids come from?
They are native to Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia and Seram Island in Indonesia, growing in temperate woodlands, grasslands and forests.
Why are they called greenhood orchids?
Their flowers have a hood-like structure (galea) formed by fused petals and a sepal, usually green with stripes, that covers the sexual parts of the flower.
How do greenhood orchids get pollinated?
Tiny flies enter the flower and trigger the labellum to move, trapping them briefly so they pick up or deposit pollen while trying to escape.
Can you grow greenhood orchids at home?
Yes, they can be grown in pots with orchid mix and coarse gravel, needing regular water in growth season and complete dryness during dormancy.
Good reading and sources
- Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
- Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
- Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
- Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Pterostylis", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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