Platanthera chlorantha
greater butterfly-orchid
Europe, north-western Asia, and North Africa
Overview
Platanthera chlorantha is a perennial orchid in the Orchidaceae, growing from a pair of underground tubers and reaching 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) in flower. Each plant has two broad, glossy, elliptical basal leaves 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long, with a few small bracts up the stem. From late May to July the stem bears a loose spike of 10-25 greenish-white flowers, each with spreading petals and a narrow, strap-like lip 0.4-0.6 inches (10-16 mm) long. A slender curved spur up to 1.7 inches (43 mm) long projects behind each flower, holding nectar at its tip. The two pollen masses sit widely apart and angle outward, which separates this species from the similar Platanthera bifolia, whose pollinia lie parallel. The flowers release a strong sweet scent at night to attract long-tongued moths, the main pollinators. It grows in chalk and limestone grassland, open woodland, and scrub on neutral to alkaline soils. The orchid is slow to establish, depends on soil fungi, and resents disturbance or fertilising.
Native Range
Native across Europe and into north-western Asia and North Africa, from Britain and Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean. Widespread but local in Britain on lime-rich grassland and woodland.Suggested Uses
Found in chalk-grassland and woodland conservation and meadow restoration rather than conventional cultivation. Its night fragrance and form draw interest in nature reserves and species-rich grassland. The flowers support nocturnal moths during early summer.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread6" - 10"
Bloom Information
Flowers open from late May to July, spreading up the spike from the base. They are greenish-white by day and release a strong sweet fragrance after dusk that draws hawk-moths and other long-tongued moths. Pollination depends on these night-flying moths carrying pollinia between flowers.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight