When did you last see an orchid? In a green house, on Gardener’s World or as an exotic boxed flower at the local florists? How about on a coal spoil tip or a marsh or on the grass verge outside your house? You may be surprised to hear that there are at least eleven species of orchid in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Some are common and widespread whilst others are rare and endangered – all are indicators of superb habitat and all are, in their own way, exotic with beautiful and complex flower structures.

Orchids flower in the late spring and summer. Most of our orchids like the southern marsh and common spotted orchid have conspicuous flower spikes of pink or purple. Conversely, twayblade – in its shaded woodland retreats- sports spikes of subtle green flowers, whilst the bee-orchids mimic furry bees with extraordinary flowers of pinks, velvet black, yellows and blues.

On good sites, orchids may flower in large numbers, producing breath-taking drifts of flowering spikes. Once flowered, orchids produce vast numbers of powder-like seed, which can be blown great distances.

Orchids are excellent indicators of good habitat. The heath spotted-orchid is a species of acid soils and so loves our heaths, moors and coal spoil habitats. The green winged-orchid is a much rarer plant and an indicator of flower-rich hay meadows and in RCT only occurs at Cefn-Y-Parc Cemetery, Llantrisant. Common spotted orchids are the orchids of our wildflower grass verges, while southern marsh orchids form swarms on damp ground on colliery spoil. Recently bee orchids have become much more common in RCT and it is worth looking out for them on grassy slopes almost anywhere in the County Borough. Excitingly, pyramidal orchids appear to also be colonising the grass verges of RCT and may also become much more familiar and beautiful sight in years to come.