- Botanical Name
- Epipactis palustris (Marsh Helleborine)
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Plant Type
- Deciduous terrestrial orchid
- Size (HxW)
- 30-50cm x 20-30cm, slowly spreading
- Depth & Spacing
- Plant rhizomes horizontally 3-5cm below the soil surface with the growth buds facing up. Space 15-20cm apart.
- Soil
- Moist, open, humus rich soil, neutral to alkaline. It suits the margins of a bog garden provided the water is not stagnant.
- Aspect
- Full sun to part shade. The more consistent the moisture, the more sun it will take.
- Climate
- Cool to temperate
- Frost
- Hardy
- Water
- Keep consistently moist from spring to autumn while in growth. Water less when dormant, but don’t let the soil dry out completely.
- Fertiliser
- Very light feeding only. A weak liquid orchid fertiliser monthly in the growing season, or none at all in good soil.
- Flowering Time
- Summer
- After Flower Care
- Leave the stems to die back naturally, then cut away the dead growth in winter.
- Notes
- Dies down to below ground over winter, so mark its position. In the right conditions it spreads by rhizomes to form a colony. Divide in late winter before new shoots emerge, only when the clump becomes crowded. Protect new shoots from snails and slugs.
Epipactis
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Marsh Hellebore
Marsh Hellebore