Orchids in Switzerland: born to be wild

Did you know that Switzerland is home to wild-growing orchids? More than 70 species have been identified, and these are most likely to be found in woods or wetlands. In contrast to most tropical varieties, all Swiss orchids grow on the ground.

They have smaller blooms and are not as imposing as their greenhouse relatives – but they are no less beautiful.

There's a good chance you have seen some of them yourself. The delicate Lady's Slipper, for example, the marsh orchid or the Nigritella. A real rarity is Dendrophylax lindenii (also called Ghost orchid).

The Ghost orchid is practically extinct worldwide. But in remote Grisons valleys it has been spotted several times. Like all wild Swiss orchids, however, it is protected.

By the way, at the lake waterworks Moos in Zurich-Wollishofen there is a roof full of meadow flowers, including ten wild orchid species. They were discovered in 2000, and no one knows how they got there.