Dactylorhiza viridis

Cultivation Details

Dactylorhiza viridis is an alpine orchid of the sub-polar region and the high mountains of Europe, eastern Asia, the Himalayan region and Alaska^[1]. It survives in intense cold and ice. In Alaska, the temperature may drop to minus 50°c in winter, with severe desiccation during the long winter months, yet the orchid survives^[1]. Orchids are, in general, shallow-rooting plants of well-drained low-fertility soils. Their symbiotic relationship with a fungus in the soil allows them to obtain sufficient nutrients and be able to compete successfully with other plants. They are very sensitive to the addition of fertilizers or fungicides since these can harm the symbiotic fungus and thus kill the orchid^[2]. Dactylorhiza species reproduce mainly and sometimes solely via seed production. Vegetative reproduction of many species is very low - in Dactylorhiza virides, for instance, it is almost non-existent. Plants reach maturity and flower in one to several years - there is generally a high seed output and this enables Dactylorhiza species to recolonize habitats from which they have disappeared and to establish populations in new habitats^[1]. Flowering is achieved only when plants reach a substantial size with 10 or more leaves per plant. A Dutch study reported that only half the population of Dactylorhiza viridis flowered each year^[1]