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Lady Orchid

Orchis purpurea

The Lady Orchid is a beautiful flower with purple petals that look like a lady in a fancy dress! It blooms in spring and loves to grow in shady places.

Habitat: Woodlands

Appearance

The Lady Orchid has a robust stem topped with a dense spike of flowers. Its individual blooms feature a distinctive dark purple helmet-like upper sepal and a pale, often white or pinkish, three-lobed lower lip marked with darker purple spots and lines, resembling a tiny figure.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassLiliopsidaOrderAsparagalesFamilyOrchidaceaeGenusOrchis
Lady Orchid
flowering trait badgeshade_tolerant trait badgespring_blooming trait badgefragrant_flower trait badge
Lady Orchid

Category

Plants

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

Be the first to snap!

Interesting facts

Baby Lady Orchids get all their first meals from invisible fungi under the soil.

Its flower petals look just like a little person wearing a fancy purple hood!

Some orchids can live for over 100 years, growing new flowers each spring!

This orchid's name comes from its resemblance to a lady in an elegant dress.

Special abilities

Ability

Deceptive Scent

Lady Orchid has a clever scent that tricks insects into pollinating it, even though it offers no nectar reward!

Ability

Fungal Friends

Lady Orchid's tiny seeds need help from special underground fungi to sprout and grow strong.

Ability

Winter Sleeper

Lady Orchid stores energy in underground tubers, letting it survive cold winters and bloom again next spring.

Measurements & details

Height
30-80 cm
Spread
15-30 cm
Flower Size
1-2.5 cm
Bloom Season
Spring
Edible
No
Toxicity
None
Lifecycle
Perennial
Pollination Method
Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Buff-tailed bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

Attracted to its deceptive flowers.

symbiotic with

Rhizoctonia fungus

Rhizoctonia repens

Provides essential nutrients to the orchid's seeds.

eaten by

Roe deer

Capreolus capreolus

May browse on its leaves and flowers.

eaten by

Red slug

Arion rufus

Slugs and snails can feed on orchid foliage.

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Do not pick flowers in the wild; they are homes for many insects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall is Lady Orchid?

30-80 cm

How wide does Lady Orchid spread?

15-30 cm

How big are the flowers on Lady Orchid?

1-2.5 cm

When does Lady Orchid bloom?

Spring

Is Lady Orchid edible?

No

Is Lady Orchid toxic?

None

What is Lady Orchid's lifecycle?

Perennial

How is Lady Orchid pollinated?

Insect

Snap Map

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