Dactylorhiza Purpurella

Description

This beautiful flower is widespread in the British Isles where it is found at up to 600 m above sea level. It is the more northerly equivalent of D. praetermissa with a delightful stocky dwarf habit with deep blue-tinged, green leaves and compact crowded flower spikes of deep rich violet-purple flowers. The individual blooms are deeply coloured and have a characteristic diamond shaped lip. It grows well and bulks up, doubling annually in ordinary garden soil, which is ideally damp but well drained.

Sowing Advice

Important. Do not sow seeds in pots or trays, they will not germinate. Just sprinkle directly onto undisturbed ground, or even a wild grassy area. Please be very patient as they are very slow indeed to come up and you will see no seedlings for at least a year. Do not move them until fully-grown as they grow best where they have chosen to germinate. Please be patient as they are worth the wait.

Key Facts