Bee orchid Ophrys apifera
Table of Contents
The bee orchid imitates a female bee, both in appearance and fragrance to attract the male to achieve pollination. Despite all this, these orchids are primarily self pollinating.
Plant family: Orchidaceae
Aliases: Bee flower, honey flower
Flowering period: June – July
Flower colour: Pink, light green, brown, yellow
Preferred soil type: Well drained, calcareous
Habitat: Sand dunes, grassland
Status: In decline
General information
The often rare and unique bee orchid belong to a group of orchids resembling insects and spiders, all designed as mimics of their specific pollinators. They’re frequently found in open grassland, sand dunes, banks, woodland rides and pastures, especially on calcareous soils, although they will tolerate neutral soils.
The flowers mimic females bees, as well as giving off the female sex pheromone to attract males for pollination, however in Great Britain these wildflowers are self pollinating, as the right species of bee isn’t found in this country. It’s an opportunistic plant that can quickly colonise disturbed soils producing an abundance of orchids.
Bee orchids are extremely unpredictable wildflowers, often appear season after season, before completely disappearing. This native perennial typically grows 40cm tall, with some specimens reaching 65cm and they appear between June and July.
Identification
Flowers: A small orchid, the bee orchid has a rosette of leaves at ground level and two leaves that grow up the stem as a sheath. The stem produces several relatively large flowers with pink sepals that look like wings, a big furry lode structure and brown lips that have yellow markings, that are reminiscent of a female bee.
Leaves: The basal leaves are ovate or oblong-lanceolate, and the upper leaves are ovate-lanceolate.
Value for wildlife
While its ecological value might not be as significant as some other plant species, the Bee Orchid does contribute to the local ecosystem in that it supports populations of specific bee species that are involved in its pollination.
Bee orchid gallery
Click to enlarge
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to use, share and adapt any of the images on this wildflower gallery page, under the condition we receive a followed backlink to our website https://diversegardens.co.uk as the image source.
Bee Orchids: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called a bee orchid?
The central petal of the flower—known as the lip or labellum—has evolved a velvety texture, rich brown and yellow markings, and a shape that remarkably resembles a female solitary bee, complete with tiny side lobes that look like antennae.
How do bee orchids get pollinated?
In parts of the Mediterranean, flowers use pheromones and visual cues to trick male bees into pseudocopulation. In the UK and northern Europe, target solitary bees are rarely present, so the bee orchid has adapted to be almost exclusively self-pollinating as the pollinia bend downward to drop directly onto the stigma.
Where and when can you find them?
Bee orchids thrive on chalk and limestone grasslands, sand dunes, and disturbed ground like disused quarries or industrial brownfield sites with poor, alkaline soils. In the UK, they typically bloom between late May and July.
Can you transplant bee orchids into a garden?
No, you should never attempt to dig up wild bee orchids because they rely on a highly specialized, interdependent relationship with specific mycorrhizal fungi in the soil to survive and germinate. Instead, let patches of lawn grow wild on chalky soil to attract wind-borne seeds naturally.
Why do bee orchids suddenly appear or disappear?
Their tiny, dust-like seeds can remain dormant underground for years, waiting for the correct fungal partner and weather conditions. A colony might produce dozens of spikes one year, vanish entirely the next, and reappear a few seasons later.
