Bee Orchid flowers mimic the shape and size of a bee
Nature on our doorsteps: Wild Orchids
Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into the natural heritage around us and the beautiful biodiversity of the plants and creatures
June is when the flowering meadows in our parks really perform.
Tall Meadow Buttercups and Ox Eye Daisies dominate the upper layers of the vegetation while Red and White Clovers and yellow Birds-foot trefoil act as a colourful carpet closer to the ground.
Scattered throughout the grass and flowers are the wild orchids.
The flowering spikes of the Pyramidal orchid open into a short, dark pink, triangular-shaped head.
As they expand and open fully, the flowering heads extend into short cylindrical spikes.
Pyramidal orchids can occur in good numbers in suitable locations, often occurring in small dense groups.
They are pollinated by the 6-spot Burnet moth, which is a red and black coloured day-flying moth.
The Common-spotted orchid dominates the meadow in Rathcoole Park.
These orchids vary in colour, ranging from dark pink through to light pink and white.
Each little flower on the spike has a tracery of darker coloured dots and swirls, making them a delight to see when they appear in large numbers.
The flowers of Common-spotted orchids are traced with dots and swirls
The less frequent Bee orchid is a particular treat.
These flowers are a lovely mix of pink, velvety browns, and cream, combining to form a pattern that mimics the shape and colours of a bee.
These orchids are found all through central and southern Europe, with Ireland being at the northern end of their distribution range.
In the Mediterranean, this orchid is pollinated by a species of solitary bee.
The flowers emit a special scent (a pheromone) to attract male bees looking for a mate.
Tricked by the flower’s colours and scent, the male bee tries to mate with the flower.
During the unsuccessful mating event, the flower deposits a sticky sac of pollen on the bee’s back.
This is carried off to the next Bee orchid that the insect will visit, thereby completing the pollination process.
The orchid’s insect partners are not present in Ireland however, so the Irish Bee orchids have adapted to pollinate themselves.
Wild orchids bloom for only a short period, so make the most of the display in the parks at the moment.
