Plants Out Of Place!

This is a Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) growing in the New Forest. Unusual as the soils of New Forest heaths are fairly acid and bee orchids are more of a lime loving plant. So, how does it manage in this environment? The answer is WW2 or rather some of the activities in the forest during the war, in this case it is concrete rubble from the old Beaulieu aerodrome just under the surface that is changing the pH of the soil allowing the orchid to maintain a foothold.
This is the first time that this species has been recorded in this location.

More info: luminous-sundial.com

Bee Orchid Flower.

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Tim Woodcock

Author, Community member

I qualified as a Scientific Photographer in 1985 and have worked in education, forensic science and now as photographer for a major museum on the south coast. I love the natural world and especially being able to record what I experience through my photography.