Orchids of Sussex

Discover some of the fascinating orchids found in the Sussex.

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Early-purple Orchid (Orchis mascula)

Height: 10 – 45 cm

Flowering period: early April to early June

Colour: purple, occasionally white

Where to see: mainly on chalk including woodland, grassland, roadside verges

One of the first orchids to pop up in spring, the Early-purple can often be seen alongside Bluebells.

There are 10-50 flowers per spike, and they come in various shades of purple. The flower structure is interesting, with the upper petals forming a hood and the two side sepals pushed backwards. The lip has three lobes and crinkled edges. The flowers have a wonderful scent at first (a cross between Lily-of-the-valley and Blackcurrant) but this changes dramatically when they are pollinated to a nasty smell similar to cat urine. The flowers don’t produce any nectar but still attract bees to pollinate them. The glossy green leaves are covered in purple blotches.

Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia)

Height: 15 – 50 cm

Flowering period: mid-May to early August

Colour: Pink, purple or white

Where to see: woodland, meadows, roadside verges, gardens

This is the most common of all orchids and the one you’re most likely to see. The ‘spotted’ part of the name relates to the leaves, which are green with many purple, oval spots. The leaves form a rosette at ground level before the flower spike appears.

The flowers can vary in colour but have distinctive darker pink spots and stripes on their three-lobed lips. Each plant has a single flower spike with 20-70 flowers densely packed in a cone-shaped or cylindrical cluster. The flowers are scented but do not produce any nectar.

Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)

Height: 20 – 60 cm

Flowering period: early June to mid-August

Colour: shades of pink from pale to reddish

Where to see: chalk grassland, roadside verges, old industrial estates

This is a small orchid that lives up to its name, with a cluster of pink flowers growing in a distinctive pyramidal shape. The flowers are very densely packed, with up to 100 per spike. The lip of each flower is divided into three equal lobes, with two raised ridges at the base. The flowers smell faintly of vanilla but do not produce any nectar.

Burnt Orchid (Neotinea ustulate)

Height: 2.5 - 15 cm

Flowering period: early-flowering form from mid-May to mid-June; late-flowering form from late June to early August

Colour: deep reddish-purple and white

Where to see: chalk grassland

This is one of the smallest orchids. The name comes from the dark maroon colour of the unopened buds at the tip of the flower spike, giving it a burnt appearance.

Each flower has deep reddish-purple sepals at the top, with a white lip below. The lip has four lobes and is speckled with reddish purple spots.

There are two forms of Burnt Orchid, and the early-flowering form has a strong, sweet scent a bit like honey.

This orchid is mainly restricted to southern England and is classified as Endangered.

Common Fragrant-orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)

Height: 20 - 40 cm

Flowering period: late May to late July; mainly June

Colour: lilac-purple

Where to see: chalk grassland

As you might expect, the flowers have a strong, sweet scent and produce nectar to attract pollinators, including butterflies and moths.

The flower spike is cylindrical and holds 20-50 plain lilac flowers. The lip has three lobes and is about as wide as it is long, which sets it apart from the other Fragrant-orchids.

Widespread throughout England and Wales but in decline.

Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata)

Height: 20 - 60 cm

Flowering period: late April to early August

Colour: yellow-green

Where to see: grassland, roadside verges, scrub, woodland

This is one of the most common and widely distributed orchids in the UK. It’s less showy but very distinctive, with a pair of broad, egg-shaped leaves at the base and a tall, green flower spike with flowers that look like tiny people. Each flower spike carries 15-30 small flowers, with the lip divided into two, long, leg-like lobes. The name means ‘twin blades’ and refers to the leaves.

It is closely related to the much rarer Lesser Twayblade, which grows on moorland and wet woodland, and sadly is not found in Sussex.

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)

Height: 10 - 30 cm

Flowering period: early June to late July

Colour: pink and brown

Where to see: chalk grassland, roadside verges

This is one of the most distinctive orchids, with the flower’s velvety lip impersonating a female bee. Males fly in to try and mate with it and end up pollinating the flower – but sadly, the right bee species doesn’t live here, so it relies on self-pollination in the UK.

A rosette of leaves grow at ground level, with two leaves that grow up the stem as a sheath. The stem carries a number of relatively large flowers with pink, wing-like sepals and a furry brown lip with yellow markings, just like a bee.

Musk Orchid (Herminium monorchis)

Height: 5 - 15 cm

Flowering period: early June to early July

Colour: greenish-yellow

Where to see: short chalk grassland

This small but distinctive orchid is a chalk grassland specialist found only in southern England. Up to 30 tiny bell-shaped flowers are packed onto each grassy-green stem, and they have a sweet honey scent. They can be tricky to spot amongst the grass. Classified as Vulnerable.

Green-winged Orchid (Anacamptis morio)

Height: 7 - 15 cm

Flowering period: mid-April to mid-June

Colour: shades of purple to pink; rarely white

Where to see: ancient, species-rich grassland on chalk or clay

Another short orchid, which gets its name from the delicate green veins in the ‘hood’ of each flower. These are the key ID feature to look out for. There are relatively few flowers per spike compared to other orchids, and they are quite large. They have a delicate vanilla scent. The leaves are unspotted and grow in a rosette at the base. The green stem turns a deep purple towards the top. It is pollinated by bees, though provides no nectar.

Autumn Lady’s-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis)

Height: 3 - 15 cm

Flowering period: early August to mid-September

Colour: white

Where to see: short, dry turf on chalk, often near the coast

This tiny orchid is the last of the season to flower and has a distinctive spiralling flower spike, carrying up to 20 small, white, tubular flowers. It is mainly found in southern England, largely because of its Mediterranean origins, and it flowers late in the year to avoid the intensity of the summer heat. The leaves are blue-green and seem to cling to the stem. It can be unpredictable, flowering in profusion one year then disappearing for several before reappearing.

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Where to see orchids in Sussex

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This post was first published in May 2023 and was updated April 2025.