Slovenian Wild Orchids

An Alpine Meadow in Slovenia

Our second trip for 2011 was the realisation of a long-held ambition to visit Slovenia. The wildflowers were stupendous and far, far better than I have imagined in my wildest flights of fancy!

Coralroot Orchid in a relatively open position on a roadside in Slovenia

We went in mid June and stayed in Bled right beside the famous lake. Although one of the tourist ‘hotspots’ Bled never once felt over-crowded, and even if it had, a very short drive outside the town takes you into the wildflower meadows for which Slovenia is so rightly famous. We did a lot of travelling around in search of various species that we really wanted to see, but also enjoyed some of the wildflower walks recommended to us by the very helpful tourist information office in Bohinj. For a full report on this trip please go to the first-nature webpage on the subject: www.first-nature.com/flowers/sites-slovenia.php

Bird's-nest Orchid growing with Butterfly Orchids

Regrettably we were too early to see Gymnadenia rhellicani (Black Vanilla Orchid) and Gymnadenia rubra (Red vanilla Orchid). These orchids were previously called Nigritella nigra ssp. rhellicani and Nigritella rubra respectively. We also failed to find Lady’s-slipper Orchid (Cypripedium calceolus) despite being there at the right time for it to be flowering. Species we did find, and in great abundance, were Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Bird’s-nest Orchid (Neottia nidus-avis), Sword-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia), White Helleborine (Cephalanthera damasonium), Red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra), Dark-red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens), Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera bifolia), Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata). In smaller numbers we found Coral-root Orchid (Corallorrhiza trifida) and Burnt Orchid (Orchis ustulata). Both Chalk Fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) and Gymnadenia odoratissima grow together in the dry Alpine meadows. This list just scratches the surface of the vast number of orchid species it’s possible to see in Slovenia and we are really hoping that we’ll be able to return again soon to see many more.

The one and only - a single Military Orchid on a roadside in Slovenia