Butterfly orchids comprise two species in the UK
The two species of Butterfly Orchids you might expect to find in the UK are Greater Butterfly Orchid Platanthera chlorantha and Lesser Butterfly Orchid Platanthera bifolia. I’ve not yet come across the second one, which I believe particularly likes damp areas, so will concentrate on the first for the time being.
Greater Butterfly Orchid – Platanthera chlorantha
I found this plant in Northern France on a grassy chalky hillside in June. In the UK it is widely spread but not common anywhere – see the National Biodiversity Network Trust for distribution data.
It has a good-sized white flower spike at approx 30cm, so should be relatively easy to spot when in bloom, even if not as tall as the Lizard Orchid. I was surprised and excited to see this for the first time, and distracted by other visitors walking nearby, so completely forgot to look at the leaves! It was growing amongst grass, and in the pic above you can also see it’s growing alongside Travellers Joy and Marjoram.
A flower spike of butterflies
The individual flowers certainly look like insects with their long bracts! They are pure white and 2 to 3 cm across. There were about 10 flowers on the spike I saw, and the flowers were loosely distributed rather than tightly packed. Each flower was on a longish stalk (about 3cm), giving the impression of butterflies hovering around the stem.
The side sepals of each flower are white, pointed, and spreading horizontally to resemble wings. The long lip below is undivided and in shades of cream and green. The remaining perianth segments form a white hood with a cream and green centre. There was a long white spur pointing from the back of the flower, which was very long and thin, being about twice the length of the individual flower stem.
See aphid in the image above for scale! I have since read that the flowers are very sweetly scented. As ever, I need to pay more attention in the moment. Maybe I should carry a tick list with me: What do the leaves look like? Has it got basal leaves? Scent?
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