Orchids of the UK - Common Spotted Orchid
Orchids of the UK - Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii
by Rob Read
Above: Common Spotted Orchid. This one was flowering on a chalk downland site in Wiltshire, but they can be found in a variety of habitats. ©Rob Read
Above: Close up of the three-lobed flowers of a Common Spotted Orchid. ©Rob Read
I love orchids. The beauty of these plants ranges from the daintily subtle through to the bold and downright ostentatious. From April through to September, a progression of species can be found flowering a short distance from my home in the rich chalk soils of North Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Over the next few weeks I shall introduce you to some of the more common species, plus one or two of what I consider to be the most beautiful and/or special. What better place to start than with one of the most common species and that you will find flowering now, the aptly-named Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii.
The Common Spotted Orchid is widespread throughout Britain and Europe and is without doubt one of the easiest of all orchids to find as they tolerate a number of different habitat types from chalk grassland, woodland, quarries, verges, sand dunes, and marshes; although it shows a distinct preference for chalky soils. They flower from June through to August and can often be found in numbers.
The plant is relatively easy to recognise and distinguish from other orchid species. It appears in rather delicate conical spikes of tightly clustered flowers which vary from whitish, through pale pink to almost purple in colour, each three-lobed flower bearing darker spots and stripes. Be sure to look for the basal rosette of leaves, green in colour and marked with obvious oval-shaped purple spots, from which its name is derived.
The Common Spotted Orchid is a good benchmark species to familiarise yourself with as you begin your journey of orchid enlightenment. Get out and about now in suitable habitat and I’m sure it won’t take you long to find one. Next time I’ll take a look at another common and easily recognisable species, the Pyramidal Orchid.
Rob Read.
