Big Orchid Count points to cost of dry spring

Volunteers surveyed wild flower meadows at Orchid Meadows today and counted 1981 flowering heads of heath spotted orchid, 13 per cent less than last year.

The orchids, which range in colour from almost white to pink to deep purple, have been identified as Dactylorhiza maculata subspecies ericetorum. They cope well with the heavy, damp, acid soils common in West Wales. Populations take a long time to establish and can be reduced or lost altogether by modern farming methods. Our meadows have, over the past four years, been returned to nature-friendly management.

As well as heath spotted orchid, lesser butterfly orchid (shown here) and broad-leaved helleborine were recorded on-site. Lesser butterfly orchids were slightly fewer than last year (down from 11 to 8) but helleborines doubled from 23 last year to 47 this year.

Heath spotted orchid numbers are down from 2024 but last year they seemed to thrive in the wet spring and summer. This year’s exceptionally dry spring may have played a part in reducing flowering heads. Not only that but the very wet 2024 meant the hay crop could not be gathered in after cutting. It had to be left flat on the ground, creating a barrier of dead material that wild flowers had to break through this year. On the other hand, perhaps the helleborines liked the hot, dry spring!

The meadows here are managed traditionally with no artificial fertilisers or pesticides. They are cut for hay in late August after most wild plants have flowered and set seed. The bales are used at a nearby horse training centre for feed and bedding.

If you would like to see the orchids for yourself, book a stay at Tawny Little House during Orchid Fortnight, which runs until 13 July. All stays come with a complimentary wild flower guided walk.