Orchids of the Eifel: Dactylorhiza

Latin: Dactylorhiza fuchsii
English: Common spotted orchid
German: Fuchsens Knabenkraut
Bloom: Beginning of June to mid-July

Some botonists believe that there is no difference between Dactylorhiza maculata and Dactylorhiza fuchsii or that fuchsii is a subspecies of maculata.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

These orchids grow in acid or calciferous soil. They are found in meadows, open bush, edges of woods, glades in deciduous and evergreen woods, marshes and moors. These were photographed in a very damp meadow beside a stream.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

This is an albino variation of the orchid.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

Latin: Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. ochroleuca
English: Cream-coloured early marsh orchid
German: Strohgelbes Knabenkraut
Bloom: June to beginning of July

These orchids are much smaller than the dactylorhiza maculata and fuchsii. They were growing with them in the same damp meadow. These orchids also grow in flat moors and swampy meadows in calciferous soil.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

Latin: Dactylorhiza maculata
English: Heath spotted orchid
German: Geflecktes Knabenkraut
Bloom: Beginning of June to mid-July

Some botonists believe that there is no difference between Dactylorhiza maculata and Dactylorhiza fuchsii or that fuchsii is a subspecies of maculata.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

These orchids grow in acid or calciferous soil. They are found in meadows, open bush, edges of woods, glades in deciduous and evergreen woods, marshes and moors. These were photographed in the same very damp meadow as the Dactylorhiza fuchsii, incarnata and majalis.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

A closeup of the flowers.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

Latin: Dactylorhiza maculata var. albiflora
English: Common spotted orchid
German: Fuchsens Knabenkraut
Bloom: Beginning of June to mid-July

This is a variation of Dactylorhiza maculata with pure white flowers.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

Flowers with the usual white with pink markings can be seen in the background.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

Latin: Dactylorhiza majalis
English: Western marsh orchid
German: Breitblättriges Knabenkraut
Bloom: May to mid-June

All the orchids on this page except for Dactylorhiza sphagnicola were photographed in the same meadow on the same day in the first week of June.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

These orchids grow in wet meadows, bogs and flat moors.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

A closeup of the flowers.

Photographed near Nürburg Ring, June 5, 2006

Latin: Dactylorhiza sphagnicola
English: Peat orchid
German: Torfmoos-Knabenkraut
Bloom: June

This is orchid was photographed in the Hohes Venn, a raised bog in Belgium on the German border. Boardwalks through the bog allow visitors to get close to the marsh plants.

Photographed in the Hohes Venn, July 21, 2002

These orchids grow in peat bogs with sphagnum moss. Until about a hundred years ago local people used to cut peat to fuel their heating and cooking fires.

Photographed in the Hohes Venn, July 21, 2002