Dactylorhiza praetermissa

The southern marsh orchid is common throughout Europe, including the southern British Isles. It produces beautiful spikes covered in numerous pale purple flowers with darker markings on the slightly-lobed lips. The leaves are rarely spotted. Marsh orchids grow across Europe usually in moist habitats that are either moist year round or seasonally moist in the winter becoming drier in the summer. Despite their marshy natural habitats, these hardy orchids do well in evenly moist garden soils in full to part sun and are easy to grow. Over time they will develop into impressive clumps of lance-shaped leaves with many vertical spikes of delightful orchid flowers.