Flower:

Spike-like raceme to 10 inches long of 13 to 65 irregular flowers, about ⅜ inch across. Flower color ranges from pale green to yellowish in sunnier locations to nearly white in deeper shade. An upper (dorsal) sepal and two lateral petals form a hood above, 2 oval to lanceolate petal-like sepals spread laterally. The lower lip, lanceolate to egg-shaped and about the same size as the lateral sepals, initially curves up, touching the tip of the hood, then extends down. A short, curved club-like spur is behind.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves can also be somewhat variable depending on the amount of sunlight. Typically there are 2 to 7 principal leaves, oblong to linear to narrowly elliptic, to 12 inches long and 2 inches wide with pointed or rounded tips, sheathing the stem and becoming smaller as they ascend the stem, with those near the flowers greatly reduced. The stem is smooth, often with strong, evenly spaced vertical winged ridges on upper stem and floral spike. Plants are stouter in open sun than in shadier habitats.

Notes:

Often stumbled across, Northern Green Orchid can be encountered in more counties scattered throughout the state than any other orchid. This species has been decidely segregated out into two separate species, obviously very similar to the naked eye: Platanthera aquilonis and P. huronensis, but for purposes here we will treat them as one. When we do straighten out the two in our own minds we will post them as two separate species. Also note that this species sometimes goes by Habenaria hyperborea (as in Newcomb's and Peterson's field guides), but genus Habenaria is now widely considered restricted to the tropical species and Platanthera the temperate zone species.

This orchid species can be confused with both long-bracted orchid, (Dactylorhiza viridis) and tubercled rein orchid (P. flava), especially in shadier locations. D. viridis has much longer floral bracts and all sepals and lateral petals closed into the overhead hood and a much longer, rectangular and lobed lower lip, the spur a short inflated sac. P. flava has noticably different lower sepals and lower lip is more broadly oval, unfolding out and curving back. The flowers are also very similar to Tall White Bog Orchid (P. dilatata) except that species has white flowers with a strong spicy fragrance.