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Late Spider Orchid

Ophrys holosericea

Late Spider Orchid
Photo: MurielBendel, CC BY-SA 4.0

A wild European terrestrial orchid that flowers late in the season, grown mainly by enthusiasts and in naturalised or conservation settings rather than as a common garden plant. It needs a dry, sunny, lime-rich site and a winter dormancy.

Family
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Grows as
Orchid
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water sparingly while in growth and let the medium dry out between waterings; keep it dry while dormant.
Soil
Well-drained, alkaline to neutral, lime-rich soil or gritty mix.
Temperature
Hardy to around -10 °C when dormant; grows best in mild, temperate conditions.
How easy
Hard
Native range
W. & C. Europe to Medit.
Climate
subtropical

About

Ophrys holosericea, the late spider orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae, native to western and central Europe and the Mediterranean region. There has been considerable confusion about the identity of this species and the correct spelling of its name.

This species is pollinated by Eucera bees, deceived by the flower that mimics a female bee.

Other Ophrys plants

Bee orchid · Argolian bee-orchid · Atlantic Ophrys · Ophrys battandieri · Bertoloni's bee orchid · Bumblebee orchid · Bornmueller's Orchid · Ophrys cilicica · Cretan Bee Orchid · Ophrys ×dessartiana · Horseshoe bee-orchid · Ophrys × flavicans

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ophrys holosericea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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