You don't have to travel to distant countries to experience orchids in the wild. A walk in the forest is enough to encounter the wonderful flowers. We have compiled the most beautiful orchid species in Germany for you here.
Which orchid species are native to Germany?
Answer: Typical orchid species in Germany are the flesh-colored orchid, the white forest bird, the burnt orchid, the summer torchwort, the forest hyacinth and the yellow lady's slipper. These species thrive in native forests and on balconies.
Of Orchids and Other German Orchids – A Selection
While tropical orchids are already shivering at temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, native orchids are tough. The following types give you the unique opportunity to spruce up your garden and balcony with these elegant flowers:
- Flesh-colored orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata) impresses with purple-red flowers on stems up to 60 cm high
- White forest bird (Cephalanthera damasonium) impresses with ivory-colored flowers in low-light locations
- Red orchid (Orchis ustulata) sets the scene with black, white and red orchid flowers
- Summer redwort (Spiranthes aestivalis) only presents its slender flower stalks in the foothills of the Alps
- Forest hyacinth (Platanthera bifolia) prefers to associate with deciduous trees
If you struggle with swampy, damp niches in the garden, the flesh-colored orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata) transforms these problematic areas into a summer flower paradise. From mid-May, flesh-red flowers with an impressive long-distance effect unfold on stems up to 60 cm high.
Yellow lady's slipper - unique orchid on German soil
The yellow lady's slipper is a native orchid of superlatives. The Cypripedium calceolus is the only species within the genus to thrive in our forests and is rightly called the most magnificent wild orchid in Europe. The umbrella organization of the local orchid working groups (AHO) named the lady's slipper orchid of the year 2010. These attributes characterize the plant:
- A special flower shape with 4 red-brown perigon leaves surrounding a yellow, slipper-like lip
- Long flowering period from May until summer
- Develops dense clumps with up to 40 flower shoots over the years
As a partial shade plant, the yellow lady's slipper primarily plants green slopes or lies at the feet of mighty deciduous and coniferous trees. Unfortunately, this floral rarity is threatened with extinction in Germany due to improper forest management.
Tip
The only lady's slipper orchid native to Germany has developed a clever strategy for pollination. Since it has no nectar to offer, it lures curious bees into a cauldron trap with its bright flowers. The hostages only manage to free themselves from the narrow funnel with difficulty. The pollen sticks to them, with which they pollinate neighboring orchids.