Platanthera chlorantha (Custer) Rchb.
Greater Butterfly-orchid
The greater butterfly-orchid is a graceful native orchid of old grassland and woodland, named for its broad, spreading petals. Growing from tubers to around 30-60cm, it has a pair of broad, glossy basal leaves and a tall, open spike of loosely arranged flowers.
About
The greater butterfly-orchid is a graceful native orchid of old grassland and woodland, named for its broad, spreading petals. Growing from tubers to around 30-60cm, it has a pair of broad, glossy basal leaves and a tall, open spike of loosely arranged flowers. The blooms are greenish-white with a long, narrow lip and a very long, slender nectar spur; the pollen-bearing structures are set noticeably wide apart, which distinguishes it from the lesser butterfly-orchid.
It flowers chiefly in June on well-drained, often calcareous soils, growing in unimproved meadows, chalk downland and open woodland, including coppiced and lightly grazed sites, though it has declined with agricultural intensification. In the evening the pale flowers release a strong, sweet, vanilla-like scent that draws long-tongued night-flying moths, which carry the pollinia stuck to their eyes. A treasured component of species-rich grassland and woodland-edge habitats, it depends on long-undisturbed ground and its fungal partners.
Synonyms
Gymnadenia chlorantha · Habenaria chlorantha · Habenaria chloroleuca · Habenaria montana · Habenaria virescens · Orchis bifolia elatior · Orchis bifolia macroglossa · Orchis bifolia montana · Orchis chlorantha · Orchis montana · Orchis ochroleuca
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.