Oxfordshire 14th March 2024

What’s this? A March orchid sighting that is not Early Spiders down on the south coast?

There are now Giant Orchids, Himantoglossum robertianum, growing in Britain, and this is one of three sites, remaining anonymous for now, There were several plants, with one in flower and two in bud. All were protected from voracious rabbits by wire cages. I have to say they were a bit disappointing, and despite this being Oxfordshire surprisingly difficult to reach. If there is a next time I shall have learned abseiling first. They grow on a very steep former railway embankment, about halfway down to 40 foot slope. Things were made more difficult by the rain shower we had just before seeing the orchids.