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Orchidaceae
Bee Orchid
Ophrys apifera
Deception and allure.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Ophrys
- Native to
- Europe, North Africa, Middle East
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- perennial herb
- Height
- 0.5-1.5 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- calcareous, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 6-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The flower lip mimics a female bee so convincingly that male bees attempt to mate with it, pollinating the orchid in the process.
- In northern Europe where its specific pollinator bee is absent, the plant has evolved to self-pollinate.
- Charles Darwin was fascinated by Ophrys orchids and featured them prominently in his 1862 book on orchid pollination.
- The flowers even produce chemical compounds that mimic female bee pheromones.
- Each plant can take 5 to 8 years to go from seed to first flowering, relying on a mycorrhizal fungus partnership.
Color meanings
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deception
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allure
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industry