First flowers of the season

Early Purple orchid in flower mid April 2015

The Early Purple orchids herald the start of the flowering season, so by this time of the year there is no chance of mixing them up with anything else, the spotted leaves distinguishing them from the next most likely species, the Green Winged orchid. It is not just the flowers which are a delight with this plant, have a look at this picture I took recently. 

Lovely spotted leaves on early purple orchids

Leaves and flower bud of an Early Purple orchid in April. The bud is white when it starts and the leaves are distinctly spotted and blotched, rather than the banding you find on Common Spotted orchids. We often see these plants in amongst the

---