- Heath-spotted orchid, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
Orchid Family
Many people think of orchids as being a tropical flower. It is true that of the twenty thousand species worldwide, only 110-120 species are found in Europe. And only 30 odd species in the Netherlands. Nor are these species with large open flowers. Dutch orchids are relatively small plants that look somewhat like a hyacinth from a distance. They are rare and therefore legally protected. They multiply via tubers and very small seeds. Some species are pioneer plants that naturally disappear as the ground becomes richer in nutrients. Only when special management is applied will they remain.
- Orchid management
- Green-winged orchid, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
Orchids grow primarily in unpolluted, natural environments. They flower profusely in the spring on damp, nutrient-poor soils, such as found on scanty grasslands and in young dune slacks, producing very colorful countrysides. In the Netherlands, it is often necessary to apply specific management in order to prevent orchids from disappearing. The grasslands where orchids grow are usually managed by mowing and removing the grass. In this way, the soil stays depleted of nutrients, just what orchids need. If these lands are also grazed, new orchids will germinate from seed in the footprints of the animals.
- Not just a name
- Early marsh orchid, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
Many of the Dutch orchid species have 2 thick underground tuberous roots. One is young and stores food for the winter while the other one is a year older and grows into the growth we see above ground. These roots can each look like a finger, or with a bit of imagination, a testicle. Orchis means testicle!
- Fungi and orchids
Should you see a flowering orchid, this plant will be at least several years old. With the exception of the fen orchid, it takes several years before the first leaves appear above ground and even longer before a flower blossoms. Sometimes, the adult plant will even skip a year and not even show any leaves.
The native Dutch orchid species develop at various tempos. The marsh orchid, the marsh helleborine and the fen orchid take 3 to 4 years to develop into a flower from a seed. This may seem long, but the autumn ladies'-tresses can take up to 14 years!
Orchid seeds are tiny and contain no food storage. They are dependent upon fungi to help them to germinate. Once they 'capture' the fungi, they use them to provide the necessary nutrients. Even the germinated plant continues to use fungi, although different ones than in the beginning. This explains how orchids are able to skip a year of above-ground growth. It also explains why it is so difficult to transplant orchids. The likelihood of replanting the orchid is soil containing the proper fungi is very slight.
