Purple Orchid Tree

The Early Purple Orchid Tree

A common plant to find in Great Britain, Mediterranean Europe, and Northern Africa is the Early Purple Orchid tree.  This is a beautiful species of orchid that grows in a slightly different medium than most tropical orchids.  The Early Purple Orchid tree grows in soil, versus on vines or other trees like many orchids.  They thrive in a broadleaved woodland environment and also prefers calcareous and neutral soils.  Early Purple Orchid trees can flourish in a variety of environments, from limestone to calcareous grasslands to coastal cliffs or even roadside areas.

The plant has earned its name of the Early Purple Orchid tree because it is one of the first flowers to bloom at the end of the United Kingdom winter.  While it has differences in its basal and stalk leaves, it otherwise is very similar to another orchid species, known as the green winged orchid.  The beautiful plant shares many of the unique qualities of other northern-dwelling orchids.

Description of the Early Purple Orchid Tree

The Early Purple Orchid tree tends to have a basal cluster that ranges from a normal five blunt tipped leaves to as many as eight, which is more unusual.  These leaves have an oblong shape and a shiny, smooth texture.  The stalk of the plant will have two or more protruding stem leaves, which can have some visible spotting.  The amount of spots depends on which sub-species of the Early Purple Orchid tree it is.  Some types of Early Purple Orchid tree may not have any of the characteristic spotting on their basal leaves.

The Early Purple Orchid trees tend to bloom in a spike formation, which can stand as tall as 60 centimeters.  Each spike can consist of as many as 20 to 50 flowers.  While they are typically purple in color, giving the plant its name, the shades can range in intensity and can even reach an almost white color.  The flowers maintain a similar look to most orchid species, with several sepals and a lip to compliment the “true” petals of the flower.  Like other orchid species, the center of the lip tends to be paler in color than the rest of the flower.

A newly bloomed Early Purple Orchid tree has a slightly sweet smell to the flowers, however the fragrance changes after the flower is pollinated.  The changed smell can almost be likened to urine.  Several species of bees pollinate the Early Purple Orchid tree.  There are claims that this orchid has medicinal value in addition to its beauty.  The roots can be ground into a powder, called salep, which is then either drank or added to other foods to increase their nutritional value.

These unique orchids are a common flower in Europe, but unusual in other parts of the world.  The Early Purple Orchid tree is well known thanks to its beauty and the sweet smell of the unpollinated blooms.