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Common Fragrant-orchid

©Philip Precey

Common fragrant-orchid

The Common fragrant-orchid lives up to its name: it produces a sweet, orangey smell that is very strong in the evening. Look for its densely packed, pink flower spikes on chalk grasslands in summer.

Scientific name

Gymnadenia conopsea

When to see

June to July

Species information

Category

Statistics

Height: up to 40cm
Common.

About

The Common fragrant-orchid is a robust, medium-sized orchid found on dry and damp grasslands, particularly with chalky soils. Clustering to form cylindrical, densely packed flower spikes, the flowers themselves are usually pink, but can vary from purple to white. In bloom during June and July, the Common fragrant-orchid lives up to its name by producing a sweet, orangey smell that is particularly strong in the evening.

How to identify

The Common fragrant-orchid displays clusters of pink flowers that have a three-lobed lip, a hood and a long spur trailing behind them. The cylindrical head of flowers can measure up to 15cm in height. A few, narrow, green leaves appear at the base of the plant and up the stem.

Distribution

Mainly found in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Southern England and Wales.

Did you know?

The three common varieties of fragrant-orchid were once considered to be a subspecies of the common type, but have recently been classified as separate species: Common fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea), Marsh fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia densiflora) and Heath fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia borealis). Their names reflect the places they can be found, with the Common fragrant-orchid appearing mostly on chalky soils.