# Common Spotted Orchid (*Dactylorhiza fuchsii*)

The Common Spotted Orchid is a beautiful flower that grows in grassy places. It has lovely purple and white spots that make it stand out in nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Common Spotted Orchid](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dactylorhiza_fuchsii_Mariazell_01.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Uoaei1, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dactylorhiza_fuchsii_Mariazell_01.JPG)

## Appearance

The Common Spotted Orchid has tall, erect stems topped with dense spikes of pink-purple flowers, each intricately patterned with darker spots and lines. Its lance-shaped leaves often feature distinctive dark purple spots, making it stand out from plain-leaved plants.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Orchidaceae
- **Genus:** Dactylorhiza

## Interesting facts

- It can grow in many places, from sunny meadows to shady woods!
- Its seeds are microscopic, needing special fungi just to sprout!
- People once used its starchy roots to make a warm, nutritious drink.
- The distinctive spots on its leaves often vary, like a plant's fingerprint!

## Special abilities

- **Fungi Friends:** Common Spotted Orchid has special roots that team up with fungi to get vital nutrients from the soil, helping it grow strong.
- **Tricky Treats:** This orchid tricks insects into pollinating by offering no nectar, making them visit more flowers in search of a reward.
- **Dust Seeds:** Common Spotted Orchid produces incredibly tiny, dust-like seeds that are carried far by the wind to find new places to sprout.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 5-10 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Visits flowers, unknowingly carrying pollen to other orchids.
- **Symbiotic with:** Tulasnella Fungus (*Tulasnella calospora*) — Its seeds require this fungus to germinate and grow.
- **Eaten by:** [Roe Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — May browse on its leaves and flower spikes in its habitat.

## Traits

- [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color.
- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [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.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [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.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Common Spotted 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 Common Spotted Orchid?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Common Spotted Orchid spread?

5-10 cm

### How big are the flowers on Common Spotted Orchid?

1-2 cm

### When does Common Spotted Orchid bloom?

Late Spring to Summer

### Is Common Spotted Orchid edible?

Yes

### Is Common Spotted Orchid toxic?

None

### What is Common Spotted Orchid's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Common Spotted Orchid: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-spotted-orchid)