So officially we’re In metro logical Autumn as of today , still going strong Painswick Golf Course Gloucestershire , Ladies-tresses @ukorchids.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social

Good morning & welcome to a new week! Our featured tour this week is Orchids of Crete, led by our star orchid guide Dr Richard Bate. A guaranteed departure next April, like all our orchid tours it naturally generates a donation to support @bsbibotany.bsky.social. mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

I photographed dwarf planet Pluto last night at a distance of 4.3 billion km from Stony Ridge Observatory. We just passed opposition, the closest we’ll get to Pluto all year. At apparent magnitude 14, Pluto should be detectable with modest backyard telescopes and #Astrophotography equipment.

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...

The world's smallest and largest flowers:

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

Today’s a year to the day that I came across a Ghost #Orchid in flower here in the UK. Last week, I travelled over to the South of France and visited a number of sites with my good friend and Mariposa co-leader @dunnjons.bsky.social where we saw some lovely examples, in good numbers

An immensely enjoyable day orchid-hunting today in the French Haute Alpes with my good friend @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social - pleasingly, we found lots of both Gymnadenia rhellicani and Chamorchis alpina. Plus heaps of other great wildflowers, and butterflies too.

Spectacular scenery as my good friend @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social and I have made our way through the French Alps today. Our mission? More Ghost Orchid. Safe to say mission accomplished.

Good morning, and welcome to a new week! Our featured tour this week is Orchids of Cyprus, a marvellous way to start the spring, looking for orchids (and other wildlife) on this warm and friendly island with @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social & Dave Fairhurst. (1/2) mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

The stellar Ghost Orchid hunting skills of @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social on full display this afternoon in the French Alps. Within ONE minute of getting on a new site, he'd found us a flowering plant! There's nobody better at finding these elusive forest wraiths.

27/7/25 Cumbria - #HuttonRoof treats us to a very interesting #orchid some years. It's clearly from the Epipactis phyllanthes group but quite unlike anything else I've seen in the UK, most closely matching the description of a Scandinavian taxon, var. confusa #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Our new OA paper with Juri Felix and @philstevenson.bsky.social is out in @ecol-evol.bsky.social! We explored the role of leaf traits in driving genotypic diversity-mediated associational effects in silver birch #TreeDivNet 🌳🍁🌍🧪https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.71768

Origanum vulgare, Wild Marjoram, invertebrates Almost ubiquitous on North Yorkshire verges, in flower June–September & buzzing with pollinators. It also supports 50 other invert species as a larval host, inc. 28 spp. of Lepidoptera. 📷 Amédée Masclef, Atlas des plantes de France. 1891 🌱

Early Marsh incarnata at Malham Tarn by a beck. Small and late flowering. @ukorchids.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social @dunnjons.bsky.social

An arctic wind today on top of Moel Famau, but persistence paid off and I was rewarded with 24 tiny Moonworts (Botrychium lunaria) 💚 #FernFriday

Other lovely finds from Helsington Barrows with @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social included heath fragrant orchids, frog orchids, heath spotted orchids and betony, a 'honorary' orchid #wildflowerhour

7/7/25 Cumbria - A species with an appropriate name; the Bog #Orchid (Hammarbya paludosa) grows exclusively in bogs with a basic flush and if your feet aren't making squelchy noises you're looking in the wrong place. These tiny #orchids are never easy to spot! #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

I adore this fascinating parasitic plant, it was so wonderful to see it again yesterday on the @mariposanature.bsky.social tour of Hutton Roof! It was looking absolutely pristine too! 🥰 Yellow Bird’s-nest, Monotropa hypopitys 💛 @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social #WildflowerHour

6/7/25 Cumbria - Today's tour of #HuttonRoof for @mariposanature.bsky.social saw a great variety of Dark Red #Helleborines (Epipactis atrorubens), my favourite having pale flowers with bright yellow lateral petals #HelleborineChallenge #Wildflowerhour #Orchid #Orchids @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Moseley Bog has been putting on another fantastic display of wild orchids! These Common Spotted Orchids look beautiful amongst the buttercups. Why not join us to discover the reserve at our Open Day next Saturday, with fun for all the family: bbcwildlife.org.uk/events/2025-07-05-open-day-moseley-bog

Four species of Dactylorhiza orchids currently flowering on my Shetland croft. They’re having a really good year here.

The first of our Marsh Helleborines (Epipactis palustris) are *just* coming into flower. Near Threatened in England and Scarce in Oxon, they're flourishing here thanks to our conservation work. 😍 #WildFlowerHour #Orchids @bsbibotany.bsky.social @judywebb.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social 🌍

Don’t forget, there’s an amazing 25% off Urban Plants exclusively for BSBI members @bsbibotany.bsky.social bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/06/urba... (and it’s selling fast - Amazon apparently only have 6 copies left in stock!)

Kenfig Dunes today. @stevieparsons.bsky.social @lizlouise.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @dunnjons.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social @withylake.bsky.social

15/6/25 Greater Manchester - Hadn't seen a Bee #Orchid (Ophrys apifera) so far in 2025 despite visiting several sites they're usually guaranteed. But these #UrbanPlants on a verge beside an urban carriageway well and truly brought delight to me on Father's Day #Wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Always worth a trip back to Blue Anchor to see the Fly Orchids. @withylake.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Oh my word! Botanist about to explode! Just unboxed my presentation copies of Urban Plants & I’m as giddy as a bee in a bellflower. It’s a beautiful thing, from the gorgeous Carry Akroyd cover to the photos kindly provided by many lovely people. Hope you enjoy it www.bloomsbury.com/uk/urban-pla...

Beautiful orchids seen on today’s @hardyorchidsociety.bsky.social field trip to Braunton Burrows led by @rogercharding.bsky.social & Mary Breeds. Bee, Early Marsh, Pyramidal, Southern Marsh, Common Twayblade & Marsh Helleborine seen 🤩 @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Fantastic to visit this suburban garden in Cheltenham Gloucestershire , nature given a chance ElevenBee Orchids in a pocket handkerchief of a front lawn @ukorchids.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social

9/6/24 Lancashire - I’d planned to report on some CT scans this afternoon but fat chance of that happening due to a power cut 🤦🏻‍♂️ So instead, live from the field, the first of the summer #orchids, the Dark Red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens) #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Calypso Orchids along Laurel Dell Road #calypsoorchid #calypsobulbosa #wildflowers #mttamalpais #mttam #mttamwatershed #mmwd #marinwater #naturephotography

8/6/25 Yorkshire - It's become a tradition each year for us to see Pugsley's Marsh #Orchids (Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides) at Kilnsey. There's a fair bit of hybrid shenanigans taking place, but this lop-sided plant with strongly lobed flowers is bang on #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

8/6/25 Yorkshire - The Small White #Orchid (Pseudorchis albida) is far rarer than it should be, as a species that tolerates a wide range of habitats. Unfortunately overgrazing (baa) and improvement has rendered this plant particularly rare in England and Wales #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

8/6/25 Yorkshire - A hop over the border to God's own country proved rather fruitful, with many fine #orchids to be seen. This reintroduced Lady's Slipper #Orchid (Cypripedium calceolus) on a woodland margin above a stream is particularly magnificent this year #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

I seem to have a surprising amount of wild orchids appearing of their own volition in my garden! The joys of being a fairly lazy organic gardener. Can anyone ID them for me? Think they’re probably common spotted ones? I’m based nr sea in N/E England #wildflowerhour #orchid

This was a stand-out moment from yesterday's @mariposanature.bsky.social Kent orchids tour. The Sand Wasp is being tricked into attempting to mate with a Fly Orchid flower. Such pollination is rarely actually witnessed in the field, even by our guides previously.

1/6/25 - For this week's #wildflowerhour #OrchidChallenge I'm going to choose one of our highlights from the @mariposanature.bsky.social #Orchids of Kent tour that I co-led with @dunnjons.bsky.social Pseudocopulation in action; a male Sand Wasp (Argogorytes) on a Fly #Orchid (Ophrys insectifera)

Have had a wonderful weekend co-leading two action-packed orchid day trips in Kent for @mariposanature.bsky.social with my good friend @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social. Lots of new friends made, and some old friends (human and orchid) connected with once more.

#wildflowerhour Orchids. Found on North Uist this afternoon and I haven’t had the chance to get them identified…

Next up: we were a week too late for a good showing as most Sword-leaved Helleborines were not looking so sexy, sorry @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social Still, one fine example and Tracey found just 4 rather shrivelled Birds Nest Orchids. A few White H’s too and a presume White Helleborine 🤷🏻‍♂️ #orchids

Come and join me for #orchids galore on our guaranteed departure to #Cyprus at the beginning of March next year It's a perfect opportunity to fill your boots with spectacular endemics, well before the UK #orchid scene gets going We'll see other wildlife too! www.mariposanature.com/tours/botani...

Last one for this evening ‐ Suffolk Military #orchids #WildflowerHour #WildFlowerShow I would have loved to have seen Rex Graham's face when he discovered them 70 years ago! @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @bsbibotany.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social

Adonis annua - Pheasant's eye. A full 48 years since I last saw it wild in the UK!!! @bsbibotany.bsky.social @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @botsocscot.bsky.social #wildflowerhour

24/5/25 Cumbria - Phwoar! The Sword-Leaved Helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia) is a seriously sexy plant, and I reckon our Northern populations are the best examples of this awesome #orchid, as well as the finest #orchids I have seen so far this year #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

24/5/25 Cumbria - The Birds Nest #Orchid is a funny-looking thing, lacking chlorophyll and therefore being almost wholly reliant on mycoheterophy for its sustenance. This is the only reliable population I know from this county, they appear most years here #wildflowerhour @bsbibotany.bsky.social

UK Government promised to protect nature. But it’s breaking that promise. Demand they scrap the part of the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill which threatens important wildlife protections. Take action 👇 https://action.wildlifetrusts.org/page/171483/action/1 #Cumbria #BrokenPromises

19/5/25 Cumbria - I was accompanied by all-round good egg @rogercharding.bsky.social today and we visited a few local sites to me. Highlights included this lovely Coralroot #Orchid (Corallorhiza trifida) and a wonderful female Adder (Vipera berus) #wildflowerhour

Okay @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @ukorchids.bsky.social @thenewgalaxy.bsky.social , excuse me posting early ( it’s my birthday and I’m out for Dinner Anacamptis laxiflora on Guernsey 🇬🇬 today a beast of a Orchid

17/5/25 Cumbria - Lacking enthusiasm for getting out and about as much as usual because it is so damned dry and the flora is suffering as a result. These Fly #Orchids looked pretty decent though, no doubt because this quarry site is well-sheltered #wildflowerhour