Pyramidal orchid

I parked the car in the White Hill car park off of Headley Lane, but you can just as easily start this route from the spanking new one at the top of the hill opposite the visitor centre. I wondered up the main drag towards Juniper Top. The grassland on the left of the path is full of rich pickings as far as orchids are concerned (Bad choice of words there! DON’T PICK THE ORCHIDS!), and first on the list to be spotted here is the Pyramidal orchid.

So named for its cone head. Said to give of a whiff of vanilla, even though the flowers don’t actually produce any nectar. Despite this moths and butterflies do the decent thing and pollinate it profusely throughout England and Wales, but its not seen out and about in Scotland. It loves the chalk grassland of Box Hill.

Flowering: Early June – mid August

Common spotted-orchid

Once you get to the top of Juniper Top there is a clearing to the right of the path. This is one of the many places you will see a Common Spotted Orchid. Hell, you’ve probably even got a few hanging out in your back garden. This is your bog standard orchid – you don’t have to venture too far to see one of these (unless you live in Cornwall or North Scotland – they don’t seem to like it there). Usually found in grassland or meadow habitats, or perhaps if you find yourself on the edge of a road or motorway with some time to spare you might find a few there (I’m not here to judge you folks).

Flowering: Late May – early August

Bee Orchid

Do yourself a favour and wonder through the woods to the main car park, cross Box Hill Road and make your way to Salomen’s Memorial. Not only is the view incredible, but you are right next to the visitor centre and can pop in there to ablute and buy yourself some cake. Just below the memorial is a prime place to spot a Bee Orchid. My personal favourite – it resembles a bumble bee! I also think the green bit above the bee looks a bit like a duck flying off with a bent beak. Ok, so maybe a slightly overactive imagination is to blame for that. Or too much scotch. Anyway, apparently this orchid gives off Lady Bee smells in order to attract Boy Bees to pollinate them. Little temptress!

Flowering: Early June – late July

Common twayblade

Once you’ve finished admiring the view, its time to set off past the visitor centre, with Box Hill Fort on your left. Make your way down the Burford Spur, and you will see a path headiing off down the hill to your right, with steep steps heading towards the Zig Zag Road. The verges of the road here are a great place to spot all of the orchids really, but in particular the Common Twayblade. The clue is in the name people – its EVERYWHERE apparently. Although you’d be hard pushed to spot it initially, but once you have you’ll start to see them all the time. Like BUSES I tell you. These are ever so slightly more tolerant of Scotland than previously mentioned orchids, although it does have a cousin called a Lesser Twayblade which LOVES it up there, and completely repelled by anything south of Hadrians Wall.

Flowering: Late April – early August

Man Orchid

Carry on around the outside bend of the road and if you are in the right place at the right time you might just spot a Man Orchid. This one is the Daddy of all orchids! If you look closely it looks like lots of little tiny human men with massive alien heads lynched from a tree. (Sorry got a little dark there). Its super rare, and mainly only seen in the Southern England. It enjoys the chalk grassland of Box Hill though, so if you happen to be visiting early Summer, its worth looking out for.

Flowering: Early May – late June

Autumn Ladies Tresses

On the other side of the final stretch of the Zig Zag Road in the Autumn you stand a chance of glimpsing some lovely Autumn Ladies Tresses. Twisty turny delicate little white flowers spiral up the stem, like a corkscrew perm (yes I’ve lived that hell – child of the 80’s me). Mainly seen in Southern England, although you might get lucky and spot a couple in the South Eastern tip of Wales. Scotland and Northern England have there own version called Creeping Ladies Tresses which enjoys shady pine forests.

Flowering: Early August – Late September

Bird’s-Nest Orchid

So apparently for those in the know, the roots of this little lovely look like a birds nest. Probably best not to dig it up and look for yourself, people might get proper angry. Its a brownie beige colour because it has no chlorophyll, and is fed entirely by mushrooms!!! It likes woodland, and particularly partial to mature beech woods. You should be able to spot these in early summer if you head up towards Broadwood’s and look in the woodland on the left hand side of the path. From here its a walk down the hill (careful slippy slidey) back down to the car park.

Flowering: Early May – late June