Epipactis veratrifolia

Epipactis veratrifolia, also known as the Veratrum-leaved Helleborine, is a vigorous and hardy botanical species of terrestrial orchid. It is mainly found in Asia but also in Cyprus, where it grows in wet areas. This plant produces green and brown flowers with an orange lip tipped with white. In the garden, it can be planted on the banks of water features or in damp flower beds in partial shade.

The Epipactis veratrifolia belongs to the orchid family. This species is almost absent from Europe (although it can be found in locally abundant populations in Cyprus). Still, it is present in Asia, up to 2,000 meters in altitude, as well as in Anatolia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Assam, Himalayas, India, Nepal, Western Himalayas, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Myanmar. It grows on riverbanks, ravines, small wet areas, and certain cliffs around water infiltrations or springs. It is threatened by the decline of wetlands, the diversion of water sources, and the destruction of its habitats.

The Veratrum-leaved Helleborine is named as such because its leaf resembles that of the veratrum plants, which belong to the Melanthiaceae family. It is a perennial plant with fleshy rhizomes, reaching up to 60 cm in height and 40 cm in width, and up to 1 m in height where it thrives. Its deciduous vegetation emerges from the ground in spring and disappears in autumn. It consists of stems with 4 to 12 sheathing and lanceolate leaves measuring 5 to 15 cm long. Flowering occurs from June to August and can be more or less early, depending on the climate. The flower spike bears up to 18 or 20 flowers with a diameter of 3.5 cm. Each flower has three sepals and two petals. The lip is cup-shaped with a pointed protuberance. The flowers display shades of green, brown, orange, and white. The flowering is followed by forming a pendulous capsule measuring 2 or 3 cm long, containing thousands of tiny seeds.

The Veratrum-leaved Helleborine is cold-resistant. Plant it in neutral to acidic, well-drained, light, moist soil in partial shade. Although it has an original appearance, it is also a plant with a natural look that is easy to integrate into the garden, in cool to moist flower beds or along water features. As they form dense, tall plants, you can confidently associate them with willowherbs, meadowsweets, Japanese primroses, and astilbes that thrive in similar conditions and make beautiful companions. Don't forget about Osmundas, ferns that grow in moist soil.

When you receive your orchids, handle them with care: these plants produce few roots and are delicate!