Species Orchid, Early Purple Orchid, Male Orchis

It's incredible that orchid seeds are still being retail sold without accompanying shipment of a little media with the obligate mycorryza...Read Moree for enabling them to sprout successfully. Most orchids require either a somewhat or a highly specialized fungal strain to support them as they germinate. If a buyer doesn't have access already to a successfully growing plant of the particular species, there's little chance of finding the specific Tulasnella (for example) out in their back yard. This is an incredibly wide-open commercial possibility --

Terrestrial orchid from Europe has 3-5, strap like, mid green sometimes with purple blotches upto 6 inches long. Bears light to dark pur...Read Moreple, hooded flowers with a 3 lobed labellum (lip) with a cylindrical spur, carried on an erect raceme.

Flowers April-June.

Like fertile, humus rich, gritty, neutral to acid, well drained soil in partial shade. Home is woodland, scrub and open grassland.

Dont try this at home!:

The Early Purple Orchid was once dug up and the root powedered and used as an aphrodisiac. The roots can also be dried, boiled and eaten but there are better tasting and more easily obtained foods out there. Please buy from a reputable source.