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Orchidaceae
Pink Lady Orchid
Orchis italica
Grace, elegance, and natural wonder.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Orchis
- Native to
- Mediterranean region
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- terrestrial orchid
- Height
- 20–50 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- calcareous, well-drained
- Water
- moderate; dry summer dormancy
- Hardiness
- 7–10
- Lifespan
- perennial; long-lived tuber
Did you know
- Each tiny flower on the spike looks like a miniature person with arms, legs, and a head — earning the name 'naked man orchid'.
- It grows wild on rocky Mediterranean hillsides from Portugal to Turkey, blooming in great swathes.
- The tubers were historically harvested to make 'salep', a hot drink popular across the Ottoman Empire.
- Overharvesting for salep has critically reduced wild populations in Turkey, where it is now protected.
- Like many orchids, it depends on specific mycorrhizal fungi to germinate — the seeds contain no food reserves.
Color meanings
Pink
refined beauty
Purple
admiration