Tags
Bee orchid, British native orchids, British orchids, Common spotted-orchid, Grangemoor Park, Pyramidal orchid, Southern Marsh-orchid, white Pyramidal orchid
During a recent wander around Cardiff’s Grangemoor Park, I was delighted to spot four different species of Britain’s native orchids. I thought our unseasonal heatwave in late May might have caused the orchids to frizzle but I think the fact that the record-breaking high temperatures were followed immediately by a week of rainy weather has meant that the orchids growing at Grangemoor and in other local parks are looking particularly lush this year. Here’s a selection …
Bee orchids (Ophrys apifera)
I have an ambition to get a photo of all three species – Bee, Common spotted and Pyramidal – growing together but I’ve yet to find them. These are Common spotted and Bee.
Another Common spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia)
Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), in the usual pink colour
White Pyramidal orchids – I’ve seen these given the scientific name Anacamptis pyramidalis var. albiflora (on the FirstNature website), but that name is not included in the list for recording purposes.
Southern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa). These hybridise easily with Common spotted so it took a while to find a true Southern marsh.
Very nice. My recent walk at Dawlish Warren was not so productive: the bee orchids were over, the marsh orchids also almost finished but the marsh helleborine colony was just beginning and looking good.
Thanks, Philip. I’d hoped to go and check the local Marsh helleborine site this week but, as we’re currently sweltering under the red alert heatwave, I’m not venturing far from home. And I imagine by next week, everything will be frizzled.
It’s a difficult time! Good luck anyway.
Thank you. 🙂