Pyramidal orchid

Scientific name: Anacamptis pyramidalis

The pyramidal orchid lives up to its name - look for a bright pinky-purple, densely packed pyramid of flowers atop a green stem. It likes chalk grassland, sand dunes, roadside verges and quarries.

Species information

Statistics

Height: up to 55cm

Conservation status

Common.

When to see

June to July

About

The pyramidal orchid is a small orchid that lives up to its name - its pink flower spike forms a pyramidal shape. It grows on chalk grassland, coastal habitats, scrub, roadside verges, old quarries and railway embankments. It flowers in June and July, its densely packed flower spike holding up to 100 flowers. It attracts a range of butterflies and moths.

How to identify

The pyramidal orchid displays bright pink flowers in a dense, pyramid-shaped cluster at the top of its stem. It has long, narrow and pointed leaves.

Distribution

Widespread in England Wales, but scarcer in Scotland.

Habitats

Grassland

Did you know?

Orchid seeds do not store enough food to grow on their own, so they team up with a mat-forming fungus in the soil. In turn, the orchid’s roots protect the fungus.