Common Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii
The Common Spotted orchid is the most common of all UK orchids and the one you are most likely to see. It grows in many different habitats including woodland, roadside verges, hedgerows, old quarries, sand dunes and marshes. Common Spotted orchid gets its name from its leaves which are green with purplish oval spots. They have delicate, pale pink flower spikes which flower between June and August.
If you see one of these beautiful plants whilst exploring the park, get down in the grass and study the exotic-looking flowers, but please don’t pick them – we want them to seed so that we get more orchids across the park every year.