On the island of Texel, millions of orchids bloom in the wild in June; sometimes they even appear on the shoulders of some roads. In the rest of the Netherlands wild orchids are very rare, but in the scenic areas of Texel orchids grow in abundance.

The green winged

The green winged orchid grows in moist grasslands and is the first orchid to bloom, with purple flowers. Because the green winged orchid is one of the plant varieties that has been the most decimated throughout the Netherlands, it is certainly amazing that this orchid grows in great numbers on Texel. De Bol and the banks of the Roggesloot near the Hollandseweg are favorite places for this rare flower. And on most places where the green winged orchid grows, the broad-leaved marsh orchid often blooms a bit later.

The orchid

The orchid is a more massive plant with a much stronger and fuller purple spike. The effect of the broad-leaved orchid is spectacular: entire fields appear to glow with a lovely purple color. The dunes are also home to the early marsh orchid and the marsh helleborine, often seen growing along the walking path through the Horspolders. Other orchid varieties that appear on Texel include: the fragrant orchid, broad-leaved helleborine, bog twayblade, common twayblade and lesser butterfly orchid.

You can see different varieties of orchids in De Muy.

1. Marsh Orchid, Broadleaved Orchid (Dactylorhiza majalis) In dune valleys and heathlands. Blooms in May and June. You can see this orchid at: Stengweg reserve, Waalenburg (from De Staart) and De Bol (can be seen from the windmill).

2. Early Purple Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) In dune valleys and heathlands. Blooms in June and July. This orchid grows in ‘t Alloo and is easy to see from De Ruyslaan road.

3. Early Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata) In dune valleys and heathlands. The most widespread orchid variety on Texel. Blooms in May and June. You can see this variety on the blue walking route in de Hors and in the Ceres polder (open to everyone).

4. Common Twayblade (Listera ovata) In dry dunes. Common locally. Although they can become fairly large plants, these orchids are not very striking. They have greenish flowers on a strong stem that appears from between two large leaves. It is often eaten by rabbits in the early stage. Blooms in May and June.

5. Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) In dune valleys and heathlands. Blooms in July and August.

6. Lesser Butterfly Orchid (Plathantera bifolia) In dune valleys and heathlands. Blooms in June and July.

7. Greenwinged Orchid (Orchis morio) In dune valleys and heathlands. Blooms in May and June.

8. Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii) In dune valleys and heathlands. Blooms from May into July.

9. Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epiipactis helleborine) In the forest. This plant appears in various places in pure pine forests. The number of plants per location can vary significantly from year to year. With its greenish flowers, the orchid is not very showy. Blooms from July into September.

10. Marsh Helleborine (Epioactis palustris) In dune valleys and heathlands. Another inconspicuous orchid that sometimes grows in great numbers clustered together. This is due to the fact that the plant spreads with root suckers. A great favorite among wasps, which explains the Dutch name: marsh wasp orchid. Blooms from June until August.

Source: 'The wild plants of Texel' by Adriaan Dijksen, with illustrations by Johan Reydon.