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Orchidaceae
Heath Spotted Orchid
Dactylorhiza maculata
Delicate beauty in wild wetlands.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Dactylorhiza
- Native to
- Europe, North Africa
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Summer
- Type
- tuberous perennial orchid
- Height
- 15–50 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- acidic, boggy or damp heath
- Water
- high; consistently moist
- Hardiness
- 4–8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The lip petal is marked with dark spots and loops that serve as nectar guides for visiting bumblebees.
- Despite offering no nectar reward, it successfully lures pollinators through color mimicry of nectar-rich neighbors.
- Dactylorhiza means 'finger root,' describing the hand-shaped tubers that store energy underground.
- It hybridizes readily with other Dactylorhiza species, creating identification headaches for botanists.
- Heath spotted orchids can form colonies of hundreds on acidic bogs where competing plants struggle to grow.
Color meanings
0
wild grace
1
spotted beauty
2
moorland charm