Dactylorhiza Foliorella

The Dactylorhiza x Foliorella results from cross-breeding between two wild species of Dactylorhiza. This perennial terrestrial orchid disappears in winter and re-emerges in spring. From May, it offers a spectacular flowering, consisting of large floral spikes composed of several dozen small flowers in a purplish pink colour that catches the eye. Thriving in full sun or partial shade requires a neutral soil rich in humus and constantly moist, even in summer. Hardy is perfect for creating a slightly wild atmosphere in a flower bed.

The Dactylorhiza belongs to the vast family of Orchidaceae, which includes 25,000 species that fascinate with their diversity of shapes and colours, as well as their habitats, growing on tree branches (epiphytic species) or in the ground (garden orchids). Dactylorhizas belong to the latter category and include several dozen species. Their exact number is complex to determine because they easily hybridise with each other and resemble each other a lot, making it challenging to differentiate them.

The Dactylorhiza x Foliorella itself is the result of cross-breeding, with equal genetic contributions, between the D. foliosa with purple flowers, endemic to the island of Madeira, where it grows in marshy pastures, and the D. purpurella, or marsh orchid, with magenta pink flowers, native to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway.

This hybrid forms an underground tuber, which serves as a storage organ in winter when the above-ground part disappears, allowing the plant to regenerate in spring. The very name of this genus refers to this, as in Greek, "daktylos" means finger and "rhiza" means root, indicating that the tuber is split like fingers. In spring, from April onwards, it produces lanceolate leaves, a beautiful vibrant green colour, without spots and with a prominent central vein. Flowering occurs in May-June, with long floral spikes adorned with a few small, slender leaves reaching towards the sky. They are filled with dozens of tiny flowers measuring 1 to 2 cm in diameter, each having the typical shape of orchids, with a lower petal called the lip, much more developed than the others to attract insects. In shades of purplish pink to purple, with darker dots adorning the lip, these flowers are tightly packed together, forming a cluster exceeding 30 cm in height. After flowering, the leaves turn yellow, sometimes quite early in the season, and eventually disappear. The plant then enters winter dormancy, tolerating cold temperatures (down to around -25°C). Year after year, the clump expands as the tuber grows, and the flowering becomes even more magnificent.

This Dactylorhiza is ideal in a flower bed with a wild or romantic inspiration, alongside other plants that thrive in moist to wet soil, in the same spirit. Plant a Bleeding Heart, such as Dicentra Pink Diamonds, whose beautiful and architectural heart-shaped pink and white flowers will take over in summer. The small Epimedium alpinum, a Barrenwort with lovely tender green heart-shaped foliage, will precede your orchid with its graceful, small, bicoloured yellow and red stars.