Dactylorhiza praetermissa - Marsh Orchid

Dactylorhiza praetermissa, the Neglected Orchid or Forgotten Orchid, is a robust and very hardy perennial. The fairly dense spikes of small pale pink to reddish-purple flowers stand out well against the stem and brown bracts. It is a beautiful native of Northern Europe, naturally occurring up to Northern France but rare. It thrives in the partial shade of damp meadows, the edge of water points, and dune slacks in cool climates.

Dactylorhiza praetermissa belongs to the Orchidaceae family. It is a terrestrial herbaceous orchid with a storage organ called a tuber, but it has a curious digitate shape (dactylo= finger, rhiza= root). This deciduous species forms, from spring onwards, a clump of dark green foliage marbled with black spots, composed of large leaves resembling those of lilies of the valley, ovate and lanceolate, with parallel veins. In June-July, sturdy, solid, reddish-brown stems appear, reaching 40cm (16in) in height and bearing fairly densely filled lovely small flowers, with petals ranging from pink to reddish-purple, on which pink-purple dots and curved lines are drawn. The pink of the flowers goes well with the purple bracts that sheathe them. The foliage yellows and disappears quite early in the season, sometimes as early as the end of August. The plant then goes into dormancy until spring. This orchid is not always faithful year after year, but that does not mean the plant is dead. This is largely due to climatic conditions. As can be observed in the case of mushrooms, there are years with orchids, and years without... These are beautiful whimsical plants that the gardener must patiently watch for.

Terrestrial orchids are considered pioneer plants, quickly establishing themselves in the most inhospitable areas, abandoned by other plants. Dactylorhiza praetermissa likes moist to wet soils, rich in humus, and can even tolerate occasional immersion up to 5cm (2in) of water. It is a plant that does not like to be disturbed. Take a tour of your garden to determine where it will thrive. In nature, it almost grows with its feet in the water, so it can be planted at the edge of a pond in the company of Astilbes, Rodgersias, ferns, or Aruncus dioicus, for example.

Wild orchids are endangered, and many of them are protected. Our plants do not come from uprooting in nature, but from dividing plants in cultivation. Obviously, this takes time and therefore increases their price, but they are robust and perfectly adapted to open ground. Quantities are always very limited!

Our Dactylorhizas are sold in 11cm (4in) pots so that they can bloom from the first year of planting.