Country life
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Photo: Bee Orchid by Mark Heighes
Stars in the grass
By Caroline Meech, Hampshire
& Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Exotic and striking in appearance, orchids can be found in a diverse
range of habitats - now is the perfect time to discover them, with
the Wildlife Trust’s guide to orchids.
Early Purple Orchid
As its name suggests, the early purple orchid is one of
the first of our native orchids to bloom. Flowering at a
similar time to bluebells between early April and late
May, it is strong enough to grow in the light shade of
woodland or out in the open grassland of a road verge.
Even when not in flower, it is readily identifiable by
its glossy green leaves with dark purple blotches. It
remains relatively common but has declined in recent
decades due to urban development and modern
farming methods. Good populations can be seen
at Tennyson Down on the Isle of Wight. When the
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flowers first open they have a sweet scent like honey
but once pollinated the flowers smell like the urine
of a tomcat! It is thought this may be to warn insects
that the flower is no longer worth pollinating.
Green-winged Orchid
Similar in appearance to the early purple orchid,
the green-winged orchid can be distinguished by
its narrow, unspotted leaves and the distinctive
veined hoods that sit above its flower, which give it
its name. Until the advent of modern farming this
orchid was one of the most widespread and common
grassland species. Intolerant of artificial fertilisers