This is a photographic album of some of the wild orchids which grow in the Eifel (see map below), a hilly region of Western Germany on the Belgian and Luxembourg border. Millions of years ago, this area was under an ocean and remains of coral reefs can be found in several districts, making ideal conditions for wild orchids. We have photographed these flowers between April and August over the last 12 years. Wild orchids belonging
to 14 families were found:
aceras,
anacamptis,
cephalanthera,
coeloglossum,
dachtylorhiza,
epipactis,
gymnadenia,
himantoglossum,
listera,
neotinea,
neottia,
ophrys,
orchis, and
platanthera.

In the last decade, as the genetic makeup of orchids becomes better known, many orchids have been assigned to different groups; e.g. orchis ustulata (burnt orchid) and orchis tridentata (three-toothed orchid, not found in the Eifel) have been moved to the group neotinea and orchis morio (green-winged orchid)
is now in the anacamptis group.

We have also photographed wild orchids on 2 trips to the island of Crete, Greece - see link below.

In 2010, we moved back home to Canada and are busy finding and photographing wild orchids in Ontario. Click on the link below.