Puttyroot is a rare woodland orchid found in moist, rich forests and bottomlands across southern Pennsylvania and some counties further north. It produces a single pleated, pin-striped basal leaf in fall that persists through winter, then withers before its delicate pale yellow-purple flowers emerge in late spring. In Pennsylvania, its blooming period extends from May to August.

The plant spreads underground via corms, which release a sticky substance once used to mend pottery - hence the name “puttyroot”. Due to habitat loss and deer browsing, it is considered a species of special concern in Pennsylvania and critically imperiled in state further north.