How to Grow and Care for Marsh orchids

Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) is one of Europe’s most common native orchids. Because Dactylorhiza fuchsii adapts readily to different environments, the species varies a great deal in the appearance and scent of the flowers. Some plants are very aromatic and attract day-flying moths. It is most often pollinated by bumblebees or the long-horned beetle Alosterna tabacicolor.

Heath spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) grows in Europe east through Russia, and in northern Africa. It sprouts in forests, meadows, and along riversides at elevations up to 2200 m. The name "maculata" references the plant's spotted leaves. Heath spotted orchid flowers are considered deceptive to bumblebees and other pollinators since they don't provide any nectar.

Spread across Europe and Asia, broad-leaved marsh orchid generally grows in marshy areas with low amounts of nitrogen. Each flower spike can contain up to forty blooms. Numbers of broad-leaved marsh orchid are dwindling due to a reduction in its natural habitat.

Despite not being a common ornamental orchid, southern marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) has elegant purple flower spikes that can be seen flowering in European marshlands during late spring and early summer. These flowers attract bees and butterflies. The plant has also formed symbiotic relationships with a number of different species of fungi.

Elder-flowered orchid is a herbaceous flower. The flowers produce hardly any nectar, yet is visited by a variety of different pollinators, especially bumblebees. When it comes to germination, it depends on the presence of a specific fungi. Its Latin name (Dactylorhiza sambucina) comes from the Greek dactylos meaning "finger" and from rhiza meaning "root," referring to its finger-like roots.