Bee orchid.

Auf einen Blick

Pflegestufe

Schwierig

Pflanzenart

Terrestrial orchid

Licht

Full sun to partial shade

Licht im Innenraum

Hell, indirekt

Gießen

Alle 7 bis 14 Tage

Endgröße

1 to 2 feet

Wachstum

Langsam

Winterhärte

USDA 6 bis 9

Blütezeit

Late spring to early summer

Pflege

This plant is notoriously hard to keep in a container because it relies on specific soil fungi. It prefers undisturbed soil and plenty of light. Watch for yellowing leaves as a sign of poor drainage or fungal issues.

Gießen

Keep the soil moist but never waterlogged during the growing season.

Düngen

Use a very dilute orchid fertilizer only during the active growth phase.

Schneiden

Remove the flower spike only after the seeds have dispersed.

Umtopfen

Repotting is generally discouraged as it disrupts the delicate root and fungal relationship.

Boden

Chalky or limestone based

Boden-pH

Alkaline

Temperatur

-10 bis 30°C

Luftfeuchtigkeit

40 bis 70%

Sicherheit

Menschen

The plant is generally considered non-toxic but should not be consumed.

Kinder

Keep away from children as the plant is delicate and not meant for handling or consumption.

Kontaktallergene

There are no known significant skin irritants associated with this orchid.

Allergene in der Luft

The pollen is not considered a significant airborne allergen.

Essbarkeit

This plant is not considered edible and ingestion may cause digestive distress.

So erkennst du die Pflanze

• Lip resembles a fuzzy bumblebee
• Pinkish purple sepals
• Greenish basal leaves
• Slender upright flowering spike

Höhe

0,2 bis 0,5m

Breite

0,1 bis 0,2m

Blätter

green, deciduous

Blüten

pink, brown, yellow, 2 bis 4cm

Häufige Probleme

• Root rot — Occurs when the soil remains too wet for extended periods.

Standort und Pflege

Vermehrung

seed

Pflanzzeit

autumn

Plant in areas with low competition from aggressive grasses to ensure the orchid receives enough light.

Gute Pflanzpartner

• Quaking grass — It shares similar requirements for open, lime-rich grassland habitats.
• Cowslip — They both thrive in the same well-drained, nutrient-poor soil conditions.

Ähnliche Arten

• Ophrys sphegodes — It shares a similar mimicry strategy and habitat preference.

Botanisches

Familie

Orchidaceae

Gattung

Ophrys

Ordnung

Asparagales

Klasse

Liliopsida

Ursprüngliche Heimat

Europe, Mediterranean, and parts of the Middle East.

Artenschutz

While widespread, it is protected in some regions and should never be collected from the wild.

It thrives in calcareous grasslands and disturbed sites where it forms symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi.

Nutzen für Wildtiere

nectar source

Bestäuber

Bienen

Verwendung

ornamental gardening, wildflower meadows

Taxonomie abgeglichen mit GBIF.

Häufige Fragen

Can I grow this in a pot?

It is very difficult to maintain in containers due to its specific fungal requirements.

Why did my orchid disappear?

The plant is deciduous and dies back to a tuber after flowering, often remaining dormant for long periods.

Woher der Name kommt

The genus name Ophrys comes from the Greek word for eyebrow, while apifera refers to the bee-like appearance of the labellum.

Gut zu wissen

• The name apifera means bee-bearing.
• It is often called the bee orchid.
• It can self-pollinate if bees are absent.
• The plant often appears unexpectedly in disturbed ground.