Highlights from our virtual mailbag. Please email your letters to us, making them as short as possible. We reserve the right to edit them for length and clarity. For safety's sake, they may be published anonymously, but you must send us your name in your email. We're sorry, but we cannot answer all questions we receive.

Helleborine Orchid, and Little Else
I wrote last year. I have many of the Epipactis helleborine orchid all over my property. They came up in abundant numbers this year. Many more than last year. Lots of them succumbed to some sort of malady. They turned all brown and just died. There were also some that died right at the soil line, after they had fully grown and set flower buds. We had a very wet, cold, rainy spring, into the early summer.

I was just wondering, if you had experienced a similar problem and if it had been diagnosed. There are, of course, several that survived unscathed, but I'd like to know what the problem is.
Nancy

Concord's Autumn Leaves For anyone entertaining visions of colorful Concord leaves sparkling against a bright blue sky: is it foliage viewing time where you are; but you have no leaves to view? There is help...this is my annual offer to mail you your very own, personal Concord leaves, sent to you with our best wishes from Concord, Massachusetts. There is a "price" however. In order to qualify, you must make a promise in your heart to do one kind deed for a stranger. I should begin the harvest in mid to late September. Please send your request for leaves to me at leafpeeper98@yahoo.com Anne Sterling II

I discovered Epipactis helleborine in the garden soil [and she nearly pulled it up as a weed!] of a friend. It is currently blooming, near Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York, outside of the village of Penn Yan. I recognized it as a native orchid and was happy to find your excellent page!
Beverly Faulkner

A single plant of Epipactis helleborine appeared in our wild garden in Campbell County, KY, about 5 years ago. It flowered but did not produce fruit (not unexpected, considering the pollination biology of orchids). Then it vanished until 2000. On the same site, this spring, came up a plant of E.h., which is now sending up a flower stalk. On two other, nearby sites are other individuals of E.h.

About 10 years ago I heard about a "strange weed" in a garden about 2 miles from our home. I went to look at it and, lo, it was E.H. It did not come back again.

Other than these records, I have seen E.h. only once before: in a dense woods in Michigan.
John Thieret, Northern Kentucky University

The Concord Magazine answers:
The page about this orchid we published years ago and which is still archived on our site was one of the most visited of our nearly 600 pages last month! Whether this is an indication of the spreading range of the species or the spreading use of the Internet for research or both is difficult to say.

Our plant experts tell us orchids are funny, and appear/disappear/reappear over time -- even years -- as conditions change, which is something John (and possibly Nancy) discovered. Only time will tell what will happen next. In fact, Joe from Forestport, NY writes: "I read your story about your orchid and thought I might drop you a note. Don`t give up on the one you said quit blooming!! They can do that. The rhizome can go dormant for up to 3 years occasionally. We have a small group of them growing right in the front of our back door. We usually only get 1 or 2 to go to bloom each year."

For more photos of this plant, we pass along a link to the Orchid Lady from Walt Miers, an 86-year old from New York state just learning to cruise the 'Net. He contacted us while identifying the Helleborine in his yard.

Transcendental or transcendental?
When referring specifically to the Concord Transcendentalists, such as Emerson, Alcott, and Thoreau, does one use upper or lower case....?
Melanie

The Concord Library's Curator of Special Collections, Leslie Wilson says:
You will find Transcendentalism capitalized in some scholarly publications, not capitalized in others. Both forms are acceptable. The important thing is to be consistent within whatever you are writing. My own personal preference (as you can see) is to capitalize it.

We Salute the Future Purple Mouths of the Northeast
I was just searching for Concord Grapes on the internet and came across your site. I live near Concord and I am trying to locate someplace where I could buy some Concord grapes for preserving. We used to grow our own and don't have the plants any longer. Do you know of anyplace that sells them? Thank you!
Sharon Hayward

The Concord Magazine answers:
Concord grapes are sold at most of our farmstands (even some local super markets) in September. However, you don't need to come to Concord to find them. They are sold in many produce places in the Northeast and they may be available in your town. Ask your local fruit market if they will carry them or can get them for you.

Text: ©2000 The Concord, MA Homepage
Art: Culprit Fey

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