Valais, Switzerland

June 2013

Orchids

Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra)

Around 50 species of orchid grow in the canton of Valais and a large proportion of them can be found in flower at some point during the month of June.

Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra)

I've never seen either Red Helleborine and Burnt Orchid in Britain as they are both are extremely rare species there so it was a treat to see them growing in healthy populations in Switzerland.

Red Helleborine prefers shady woodland edges whereas Burnt Orchid is found in meadows and pastures.

Burnt Orchid (Orchis ustulata)

The most abundant orchid on the upper pastures was the Elder-flowered Orchid. These are present in 2 colour forms, purple and yellow, and, although the yellow form was the most common, both are often found growing together.

purple and yellow forms

yellow forms

Elder-flowered Orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina)

In contrast, both Frog Orchid and Coralroot Orchid are much harder to find.

Frog Orchid (Coeloglossum viride)

Coralroot Orchid (Corallorhiza trifida)

Lesser Butterfly Orchid and Common Twayblade are both common in deciduous woodland.

Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia)

Common Twayblade (Listera ovata)

Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)

Fragrant Orchids are common, but were only just starting to come into flower by the end of my trip.

Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)

Sword-leaved Helleborine is a fairly early-flowering orchid and most specimens I found were a bit past their best, but there were still one or two plants in full bloom.

Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia)