Although most orchids flower in the spring and early summer, the lateness of this season means that some are still in flower in Church Wood. The most numerous is the common spotted orchid, which is usually present in large numbers. This year’s annual orchid count found around 500 in one particular glade, but this number is down on previous years. In 2008, for instance, over 2,000 were counted in this one glade alone and there were over 4,000 altogether, excluding occasional groups along the rides. The flowers are scattered all over the woods, and are starting to spread along the rides, but there are two or three glades where they can usually be found in great numbers, which is a wonderful surprise when you come across them unexpectedly. The first photo below shows a glade in June 2008 and the second one was taken last week.
Other orchids present in much smaller numbers, perhaps ten of each, are the common twayblade and the broad-leaved helleborine. However, the twayblades have all gone over now and the helleborines are not yet in flower. the photo below is of a helleborine taken in Church Wood two years ago.