Bee Orchids

[Donald]

I would appreciate some advice on Bee Orchids.  We have been here for 27 years and on two previous occasions we have seen two then one appear in the lawn. There are currently 20 plants over an area of about 100 sq. metres growing quite happily.   Some are quite large plants and some very small - but they are not where the previous ones appeared about 5 years ago!

They are much appreciated so the questions are around maintaining them.  I have read up on them so the more general information I am aware of, but has anyone out there 'hands on' experience of encouraging them to stay and possibly moving them to better protect them (and enable me to cut the grass on the lawn - what else to do with CORVID-19 about).

We live in Kent and the sub-soil is tile quality Wealden clay, with natural sandy/gritty watercourses in places deep in the clay.  Probably with added lime in years past.  The land is part of a small, ancient flood relief works (now redundant due to housing) and is unlikely to have been much cultivated as it had been used as an orchard/grazing.  Although well inland we are only about 18 met above sea level.

So, Lads and Lasses, how can we develop the group and give it some sustainability? And - dare we re-organise or do we risk loosing all!  Pic enclosed- very many thanks in advance, Donald.

[Gail]

We had a number of bee orchids when I lived in Suffolk and there were many growing in the verges and on the A14/A140 roundabout. I can't specifically answer your question sadly as I never dared move any in case that killed them. (I meant to try bringing one with me when I moved but regretfully forgot). Elderly neighbours reported that they had a couple of hundred bloom in their orchard one year but usually just a few isolated plants - they called them gypsy orchids due to their tendency to flower once and then move on.
Ours appeared in our scruffy lawn, scattered throughout the orchard and sometimes in the flower beds. The rosettes are quite easy to spot in winter so I would just mark the positions with bamboo canes so that we could mow round them.


I found a number of rosettes in the grass near the helicopter landing site at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and emailed the site manager to ask if they could be protected before mowing. He hasn't responded and will have other things on his mind at the moment so I may take some canes in with me next week.

[Tristan_He]

Hello Donald,

We also have bee orchid here in North Wales, and it seems to need short limestone turf where it can flower and seed before it is cut. Individual plants are often quite short-lived but as you can see, it will seed around. Orchid growers often advise removing the seedpods to encourage individual plants to bulk up rather than use up their energy on producing seed.

Although you can move the plants when dormant, it's probably better not to as they can be quite specific in their requirements. However, you could cut the grass soon after they have finished flowering - that should encourage them to put more energy into their tubers and come back even better next year. Or you could mow part of the grass, leaving some to seed (along with other wildflowers - I bet you have other interesting things lurking).

Your photo is interesting - it looks like the variant sometimes known as a wasp orchid (Ophrys apifera var. trollii) - it's quite uncommon. Given where you live you should keep an eye out for other orchids popping up - this kind of grassland looks good for things like pyramidal, early purple, common spotted and maybe even butterfly and spider orchids. Cowslips would do well here too. Have you thought about managing part of area as a wildflower meadow?

Best wishes,
Tristan

[SteveC2]

I would suggest that you leave them where they are.  They can be fussy and where you want them to be is not necessarily where they want to be.  If you must move them then wait until they go dormant.  As per previous comments they are quite short lived.  As the spike gets more flowers on don’t be surprised if the next year nothing appears.  Cut around them if you must.  The seed pod  takes a while to develop and watch out come autumn, I was finding rosettes in September last year.
I don’t think the photo is a wasp orchid, just a normal bee not quite open.  This is a very common mistake.

[Neil]

To ways to increase their numbers, scarify the lawn around them before they set seed, be careful there could be young ones which you will not see.  second way is too cut slits in the turf and sprinkle the seeds into it, this does not need to be deep 1cm into the soil is fine.

[Donald]

Hello everyone,  I am really grateful to those who has taken the time to respond to my inquiry, it is definitely helpful.  The Orchids are in the wrong place (the definition of a week, I think!!) BUT we will live with that and follow the advice received.

It is incredible that this is only the third time in 27 years that they have appeared and with such an expanded number and area - the Bee Orchid is certainly not the usual kind of 'Alpine/rock garden' plant.

The plan is therefore to encourage in situ but also, I will find an area which we can scarify which is more convenient to garden management and see if we can build a colony in that area.
It does appear that they like land on the edge of Marshland whilst not being subject to flooding.

We do not have any other orchids other than an imported common Purple, but we do have lots of primroses and cowslips. 

In reply to Tristan, yes we have tried a wild flower Meadow, but sadly failed to establish one. 

Donald

[ian mcdonald]

Much has been written about our native orchids (awkwards). Various periods have been stated from seed to flowering, up to at least 7 years. As Steve points out, when bee orchids approach flowering size they make a rosette of leaves in the Autumn. This rosette then stays at ground level until the warmer weather comes. If the plants are going to flower they then grow a flowering stem. In our area this is usually late May to the middle of June. I have studied a small colony of bee orchids on the local site for some years. Sometimes only a small number flower in one year. The highest number of rosettes was about 70, with only about 20 flower spikes. I have read that bee orchids (maybe other species as well) grow in a small locality until they use up the available nutrients in that area. They then rely on wind dispersed seed germinating to form another colony. A good (although long out of print book) Wild Orchids by Summerheyes in the New Naturalist series, gives much information on Orchids. I have tried trans-locating common spotted orchids from a quarry which was turned into the town tip. This was done with permission from the quarry owner. I took plenty of material with the plants but the weather was too hot and dry and they did not survive. As already said, I would tend to leave them where they are and enjoy them. In this area, bee orchids are usually associated with limestone grassland. I have seen them growing on a pile of limestone which was left at the side of the railway after a job was completed. On the few limestone grasslands in this area bee orchids are seen with fly orchids, greater butterfly orchids, pyramidal orchids, fragrant orchids and common spotted orchids as well as common twayblade.

[Neil]

Ian regarding from seed to flowering of orchids

 I think this myth has come about because you can sow the seed one year, and because it needs to get the right fungus to germinate it can lay there dormant for many years.  But once the fungus has penetrated the seed coating germination will occur, if the seed is viable. Regarding the length of time from germination to flowering, on the whole, I would expect
Ophrys 2-3 years
Dactylorhiza, Platanthera, Spiranthes 3-4,
Epipactis 4-5
Orchis 3-5

[ian mcdonald]

Thanks Neil, I was quoting from Summerhayes, Wild Orchids of Britain 1951. "Many other species, for example, the bee orchid and its allies and the two butterfly orchids, do not flower until from five to eight years after germination, while the birds nest orchid (Neottia) and the large white helleborine (Cephalanthera damasonium) are nine to eleven years of age when they first flower." These observations were, I think, in the wild. I expect under laboratory conditions these times would be shortened. I have read accounts which state certain plants have a lifestyle which is not borne out by my own observations. I think this may be due to observations being carried out in different parts of the country to this area? Also to be taken into account are different geological and weather conditions over a period of years but I think you will be aware of this. I have heard botanists say that it is an "orchid year." Maybe this is because of the length of time it takes orchids in the wild to germinate and grow to flowering size after seed distribution? Wildlife can,t read. I once contacted a laboratory who specialised in growing plants. My enquiry was "what micro-organism was needed to help germinate seed of Ladies Slipper orchid."  I was told that a handful of garden soil contains all the organisms required.