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Orchidaceae
Early Purple Orchid
Orchis mascula
The true herald of spring.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Orchis
- Native to
- Europe, North Africa, Western Asia
- Bloom season
- Early Spring
- Type
- tuberous perennial
- Height
- 0.5-1.5 ft
- Sunlight
- part shade
- Soil
- chalky, moist woodland
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 5-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Early purple orchid is one of the first European orchids to flower, often blooming alongside bluebells in ancient woodland — Shakespeare referenced it in both Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, where Ophelia weaves it into her garland.
- The purple-spotted leaves appear in late winter and are easily confused with other species, but early purple orchid's fresh leaves emit a distinctly unpleasant smell when crushed — variously described as tom-cat or stale urine.
- The tubers were historically dried and ground into a starchy powder called 'salep,' which was sold as a hot drink in London coffee houses in the 17th and 18th centuries before tea became affordable.
- Orchis mascula is a strong indicator of ancient, undisturbed woodland in Britain — its presence often signals continuous tree cover since before the medieval period and correlates with high overall biodiversity.
- The species name 'mascula' (male) was applied by Linnaeus following an old Doctrine of Signatures tradition that the more elongated current-season tuber was 'male' and the more rounded one was 'female.'
Color meanings
0
vitality
1
first love
2
the return of spring