Ophrys apifera

It was only in the Spring of 2013 that I first discovered Bee Orchids on the Barff, in fact if it hadn’t been for my good friend Denis Greenough I probably wouldn’t have believed anybody that said there were Bee Orchids on the Barff. You have to look extremely closely as they only stand about 6 inches tall and can soon be lost amongst the clover and buttercups. The Bee orchid is a small Orchid. It has a rosette of leaves at ground level and two leaves that grow up the stem as a sheath. The stem displays a number of relatively large flowers with pink sepals that look like wings and furry, brown lips that have yellow markings just like a bee.

The Bee Orchid gets its name from its main pollinator the bee, which is thought to have driven the evolution of the flowers. To attract the pollinating bees, the plant has evolved bee-like flowers; drawing them in with the promise of love, the bees are naturally attracted to the flowers and fly in to attempt a mating. As they land on the velvet-textured lip of the flower, the pollen is transferred and the poor bee is left frustrated. Sadly, the right species of bee doesn't occur in the UK, so Bee Orchids are self-pollinated here. You can find them on the Barff between June and July.