# Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid (*Dactylorhiza majalis*) The Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid is a beautiful flower that grows in wet places. Its lovely purple blooms attract butterflies and bees, making it a special part of nature's garden. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/00_0589_Breitbl%C3%A4ttrige_Knabenkraut_%28Dactylorhiza_majalis%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:00_0589_Breitbl%C3%A4ttrige_Knabenkraut_%28Dactylorhiza_majalis%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid has striking magenta-purple flowers densely packed in an upright spike, often appearing almost conical. Its broad, lance-shaped leaves are uniquely marked with distinctive dark spots, making it stand out against other green wetland plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Orchidaceae - **Genus:** Dactylorhiza ## Interesting facts - It can live for many years, with some orchid species surviving for a century! - Its scientific name means "finger-root," after its peculiar hand-shaped underground tubers! - Orchid seeds are as fine as dust, so tiny that thousands can fit on a fingertip! - Some marsh orchids can change their flower color slightly based on the soil! ## Special abilities - **Nutrient Buddy:** Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid has a special friendship with underground fungi that helps it get nutrients from the soil, enabling it to grow in poor conditions. - **Energy Storage:** Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid can store energy in its finger-shaped tubers underground, helping it survive cold winters and re-emerge each spring. - **Pollinator Trap:** Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid has brightly colored petals and guiding patterns that act like landing strips, luring insects to pollinate its intricate flowers. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-60 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Tulasnella fungus (*Tulasnella calospora*) — aids nutrient uptake for growth - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — carries pollen between flowers - **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — slugs sometimes graze its leaves ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look at flowers but don't pick them, so they can keep growing. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid? 20-60 cm ### How wide does Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid? 1-2 cm ### When does Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid edible? No ### Is Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid toxic? None ### What is Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Biosphärengebiet Schwäbische Alb](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/biospharengebiet-schwabische-alb) — Baden-Württemberg, DE · Park - [Fürstlich Greizer Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/furstlich-greizer-park) — Thüringen, DE · Park - [Naturpark Feldberger Seenlandschaft](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/feldberger-seenlandschaft-nature-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Naturpark Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naturpark-eichsfeld-hainich-werratal) — Thüringen, DE · Park - [Historischer Kurpark Bad Homburg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/historischer-kurpark-bad-homburg) — Hessen, DE · Park - [Naturpark Nördlicher Oberpfälzer Wald](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/northern-upper-palatinate-forest-nature-park) — Bayern, DE · Park [View all places to see Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/broad-leaved-marsh-orchid) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Broad-leaved Marsh Orchid: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/broad-leaved-marsh-orchid)