Magpie Inkcap, Clustered Bellflower & White Helleborine during a works day out in the Chilterns yesterday. #Botany #UKOrchids #wildflowers #orchids #fungi #Chilterns #Autumn #fungifriday @ukorchids.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Autumn lady's tresses still in flower in the New Forest 😳🤩

Pyramidal Orchid up on the front lawn, partially covered by the Ivy Bee excavations. Sawston, Cambs. @ukorchids.bsky.social

The Bee Orchids are up on the front lawn/meadow. The Ivy Bee colony is also appreciating the short-cropped grass. No sign of the Pyramidal Orchids yet. Sawston, Cambs. @ukorchids.bsky.social

Bee and Lizard orchid rosettes in our local (Cambs.) country park, getting ready for Winter. I hope there's a little more rain for them next year... 🤞🏻 @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Fresh Autumn lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) appearing at Dawlish Warren following the recent rain 😃 @ukorchids.bsky.social

Today’s highlight? when #Volunteers found a previously unrecorded location for Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) on site #orchids #wildflowers #BuchanCountryPark #WestSussex How these plants have gone unnoticed to date is beyond me? @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

A misty and magical sunrise in the New Forest 25.08.25. Perfect to see the main flush of Autumn Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis). Literally tens of thousands of spikes pushing through the parched turf. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social #orchid

Well, the orchid shop will shortly be closing for the winter, with the Autumn lady's tresses in bloom. It's been a busy season, collecting new photos for a book we will be publishing next spring. More news to follow soon!

We just published a new issue of #BritishandIrishBotany, our Open Access online journal. 7 papers for you to enjoy inc Lady's-slipper orchid reintroductions; variation in Restharrows; a new Comfrey hybrid for UK; montane plants; sea-grapes new to Europe! bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/08/brit...

A foray to the New Forest to just catch Bog orchid, past their best, Spiranthes (in short supply in our area) & not numerous here plus some splendid Marsh Gentians @ukorchids.bsky.social (never seen it so dry)

And finally.........last #Orchids of the year(for me at least ) ! Autumn Ladies Tresses ,around twenty spikes in two areas about a mile apart, at #Dungeness ,amazed that they made it through the bone hard ground @ukorchids.bsky.social

I'd say it is a pretty normal year for Autumn Lady's-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) at Dawlish Warren NNR. Lots in full flower, many coming through and more to come 😃 19-8-2025. @warrenbirding.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @rogercharding.bsky.social

I found some Beds. Autumn Lady's Tresses yesterday for #WildflowerHour. It's a happy and sad occasion... I love seeing them - they're stunning - but it also marks the end of the UK orchid season! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Autumn Lady's-Tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) struggling to put on a show in N. Wilts. as the last of out native orchids to bloom. Most plants are significantly smaller than usual, presumably due to the prolonged dry spell. @ukorchids.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social

Autumn Lady's Tresses struggling in the Cotswolds, Laurie Lee country.

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to be taken to a site in Estonia that holds a few Ghost Orchids. I was pleased to find the first of 16 at this site within ten seconds of arrival 😀. Fortuitously, the sun was lighting it up under the tree and I saw it before getting out of the car.

Small Skipper taking a free drink from a Marsh Fragrant Orchid, its proboscis too narrow to pollinate the flowers. Derbyshire, July 2025.

A fabulous day on Braunton Burrows. Target species Spiranthes spiralis - Autumn Ladies Tresses found in several locations including one completely new to me.😁 @withylake.bsky.social @lizlouise.bsky.social @stevieparsons.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Bookending my first and last UK Orchids of the year in UK from Swifts Hill Gloucestershire this afternoon Autumn - Ladies Tresses, seen in double figures @ukorchids.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social

The solo Bournemouth Autumn Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes spiralis) now expanding into the classic helter-skelter shape. Bit of pollinia action too - albeit a near miss! 😉 Hopefully the showers yesterday will trigger others in the locale. @bsbibotany.bsky.social #orchid

A great year for Spiranthes spiralis Autumn lady's-tresses in Maharees, Co Kerry.

Autumn Lady's tresses today in West Yorkshire. Very low numbers as expected after this year's drought. @ukorchids.bsky.social

Ah, that bittersweet moment, heralding the end of another orchid summer. My first Autumn Lady’s Tresses. Kenfig 5/8/25 #orchid @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Last weekend I visited the far east - of Europe, and saw two of our continent's most iconic species. Neottianthe/Ponerorchis cucullata and Epipogium aphyllum. I'll let the pictures do the talking 😍

Irish Lady's-tresses flowering on Tiree in the Inner Hebrides today. Only recorded for the first time on the island in 2003, it is now known from four widely scattered sites with numbers varying greatly from year to year @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social

Farewell to Deeside, great showing of Creeping Ladies Tresses, my favourite of that genus 🙂 @ukorchids.bsky.social

Dark Red Helleborines were just about hanging on at Bishop Middleham Quarry on the 28th July #orchids #wildflowerhour #darkredhelleborine @durhamwildlife.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

Violet Helleborines - Bricket Wood (Hertfordshire) 2/8/25 Most were already gone over but a few were still in good condition #orchids #wildflowerhour #violethelleborine #hertsorchids @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @europeanorchids.bsky.social

After 11 days away, I thought I would check a couple of very local (Dunfermline) Broad-leaved Helleborine sites. The hot dry weather has certainly had a detrimental effect on them. #Orchids #wildflowers @ukorchids.bsky.social

A few more from a lovely walk yesterday in west Fife before the storm hits (right now), stay safe outdoors folks. #wildflowers #Orchids @ukorchids.bsky.social

Creeping Lady's-tresses Goodyera repens in a quiet woodland here in Deeside, Aberdeenshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Great day out at Kenfig NNR. Fen orchids looking seedy (but I’ll know where to look next year!) Some Marsh orchids and Marsh helleborines still in flower, and Broad-leaved helleborines just coming into flower.

Creeping Lady's-tresses Goodyera repens. Very few found this year here on Deeside, Aberdeenshire. Hopefully just late. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @bsbiscotland.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Irish Lady's Tresses are starting to flower on Barra. Over the past decade we've found them in 3 areas, but numbers vary year to year depending on grazing. Over-grazing is bad, under-grazing is worse, but when it's just right they flourish. @ukorchids.bsky.social

Lesser Twayblade Neottia cordata. Well past flowering (May/June), but flower spikes persisting here in a sheltered fragment of old Scots Pine forest, Deeside, Aberdeenshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Worth the long trip to the Western Isles and with a bit of luck on timing here we have the lovely Irish Ladies Tresses @ukorchids.bsky.social 🙂

Good numbers of Bog orchids (Hammarbya paludosa) on Dartmoor today. 27-7-20205. @ukorchids.bsky.social

A special morning at Hailes Abbey with Duncan Dine, who kindly let me accompany him to see some beautiful Violet Helleborines. A new orchid for me, so very chuffed. Thanks, DD. 😊 🙏 #Orchids #wildflowers @ukorchids.bsky.social

Epipactis x schulzei @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Got caught out today ! and got absolutely drenched ! Visited one of the Broad-Leaved Helleborine sights near Faversham to see how they were progressing.....and they appear to be doing very well ! photography and the weather were challenging though !. @ukorchids.bsky.social

Dark red helleborine count at best known Durham site on 17 July - 1839 flowering spikes. Lack of rainfall (presumably) has resulted in lowest count since 2019, but still above long-term average @ukorchids.bsky.social @durhamwildlife.bsky.social

Climbing gates, scrabbling down slopes and bracing the quagmire in the rain, but totally worthwhile 2-hour drive into the Peak District. Incredibly rich former quarry site 😍

Spent a fantastic afternoon at Tarbat Ness. Great to see frog orchid in flower & lots of common blue butterflies enjoying the sunshine. Amazed that a hobby flew in off the sea right overhead. A life tick for me #BirdsSeenIn2025 #BirdingScotland @ukorchids.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

18 July Good numbers of Frog Orchids around Gullane Point at Aberlady Bay LNR today - including a couple of tiny plants in the patches of very short grass @ukorchids.bsky.social

Some very dry looking Frog Orchids at Bradbury Rings today #orchid

Two rather different but rather lovely Common Spotted Orchids from Wales last week.

Another species, Narrow-lipped Helleborine, in flower again (after finding none last year) at the only site in Hertfordshire that I know of #hertsorchids #orchids #wildflowerhour @hertswildlifetrust.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social

George & I visited Devilla Forest in West Fife this morning. Lots of Broad-leaved Helleborines in flower & with a few over already. 🌼 #orchids #wildflowers @ukorchids.bsky.social