Our wonderful wild orchids

Keep your eyes peeled to spot these beautiful blooms across the UK

- LOUISE MIDGLEY

There are more than 50 species of wild orchids growing in the temperate climate of the British Isles. These beguiling beauties are classified as terrestrial, meaning they grow in the ground and take their nourishment from the earth.

They have a preference for growing on calcareous soils such as limestone and chalk, but can also be found in a wide range of other habitats. The optimum time of year to spot them is during late spring and early summer, although they generally flower earlier in the south and later in the north. 

Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) 

Aptly named, this orchid is both common and spotty. It grows in a wide range of habitats, from wetland marshes and fens to drier environments such as chalk grasslands and coastal sites. Stunning pink flower spikes emerge from rosettes of green leaves that are heavily spotted with purplish/brown, oval-shaped spots. Their patterned blooms are highly perfumed and lure in day-flying moths during their flowering period from May to mid-summer.

Early purple orchid (Orchis mascula)