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Orchidaceae
Peach-Faced Orchid
Orchis italica
Playful humanity and nature's sense of humor.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Orchis
- Native to
- Mediterranean, southern Europe, North Africa
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- terrestrial orchid
- Height
- 20–50 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- calcareous, well-drained
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 7–10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Also known as the 'naked man orchid' because each tiny flower resembles a small human figure with arms, legs, and a head.
- It is the national orchid of Italy and appears frequently in Mediterranean wildflower meadows.
- The flowers are densely packed into a conical spike, creating a crowd of little 'people' on each stem.
- Like many European orchids, it depends on specific mycorrhizal fungi to germinate and grow.
- Ancient Greeks believed orchid tubers could determine the sex of an unborn child — large tubers predicted a boy.
Color meanings
Pink
whimsical joy
Purple
creative imagination