Regular visitors to Blean Woods will be aware that, while it may be famous for its nightingales and heath fritillaries, the same cannot be said for its floristic appeal. Yes, bluebells, wood anemones and primroses all occur here, but for the most part not as breathtaking displays. However, there is one plant which, while not drawing botanists from miles around, is quite a feature of the wood at this time of year, and that is the common spotted orchid. The orchid family has a firm place in the hearts of all country-lovers; some species, such as the musk orchid, are so insignificant as to be passed over by all but the keenest naturalist, but many have fairly large, and extremely attractive flower spikes. The common spotted orchid is one such plant, its lovely pale pink flowers dotted with magenta, though the spots in its name are to be found on the leaves as dull purple blotches. When I came here in 1982 the species was confined to one small glade, barely twenty yards across which, with some unimaginative inevitability, became known as the Orchid Glade. Interestingly, though, over the years it has spread out and, while still rare or non-existent in extensive areas of the wood, it is now well-established along several of the wide rides and most of the small glades. I like to think this is due to sympathetic management of the reserve during my tenure, but it could equally be the result of changes in the climate. Orchids are notoriously fickle plants, difficult to grow commercially (they require the assistance of a soil fungus to enable them to germinate and get established) and sometimes disappearing from a regular site for years before, just as suddenly, reappearing. The seed is truly minute – little more than brown dust when tapped onto the hand from a ripe capsule; this has the benefit of enabling it to be windblown over great distances, and indeed the recent discoveries of several orchid species new to Britain have in some cases been attributed to seed being blown across from France! The huge drawback, of course, is that there is no room in the microscopic seed for a package of carbohydrates and other nutrients to boost the seedling’s early growth, so the chances of it surviving in a dense sward of vegetation, even with the help of its fungi, are remote indeed. But, it can happen and, where there are scuffed patches of barer ground on rides, perhaps where a rabbit has scratched or machinery has scalped the surface during mowing, there may be a brief window of colonising opportunity. The bad news is that the common spotted orchid has declined by 75% on the reserve since 2008, with just the smallest hint of an upturn this year, and once again its future here is uncertain.
I started this article with a mention of the heath fritillary, so I thought I’d create some pleasing symmetry by ending with this, our renowned rare butterfly. Despite preceding cold weather, the season got off to an early start in late May and the population is now rapidly approaching its peak, with a total of 764 counted yesterday (14th June), a marked improvement on the previous five years. Like the common spotted orchid, fluctuations in fritillary counts from year to year are unpredictable, and it’s anyone’s guess whether this marks a revival in their fortunes after several years in the doldrums.
Michael Walter
michaelwalter434@gmail.com
01227 462491
The Orchid Glade in its heyday, with a population in excess of 2000, compared to 305 counted this year.
Close-up of common spotted orchid flower spike.