Bulbs, Perennials, Weeds > Orchis > Orchis mascula > Orchis mascula
Orchis mascula
Salep Orchid, Dead Mans Fingers, Male Orchis, Early-purple Orchid
Origin: Europe.
| Family |
| Orchidaceae |
| Genus |
| Orchis |
| Species |
| mascula |
| Category |
| Bulbs, Perennials, Weeds |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 5 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 6a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -26 -(-23) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -15 -(-10) |
| Height |
| 5 - 60 cm |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A tuber growing to 0.6 m. |
| Cultivation |
| Grow in well in full sun or partial shade in most soils, but it prefers a moist loam and lots of leaf mould. Requires a deep rich soil. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| Habitat |
| It is mostly found in woodland, copses, grasslands and open pastures, mostly on neutral or base-rich soils. It can also occur in hedgerows, scrub, on roadsides and railway banks, and on limestone pavement and on moist cliff ledges. |
| Leaf Description |
| Long sheaths growing upward being a mild green colour covered in dark purple spots. |
| Flower Description |
| Light purple oval petals attached to lobes surrounding the top of the stem. |
| Fruit Description |
| Capsule, seeds tiny, like dust. |
| Texture Description |
| The flowers have a fairly pleasant odour from a distance |
| Notable Specimens |
| Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
| Propagation |
| By seed or division of the tubers. |
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