A walk in the woods led to the ghost orchid
The Guardian
Wed 4 September 2024 

The ghost orchid, named for its otherworldly hue, was first recorded in Britain in Herefordshire in 1854.Photograph: Richard Bate

On a rainy, muddy September afternoon in 1982 my wife‑to-be Valerie and I took a walk in the woods in Herefordshire. We stumbled upon Epipogium aphyllum, AKA the ghost orchid (‘Holy grail’ ghost orchid rediscovered in UK for the first time since 2009, 27 August).

We had as much pleasure as finding it in making it a dream come true for Dr Charles Walker, then aged 92, of Herefordshire Botanical Society, who’d lived in hope of ever seeing this plant, by taking him to the site. It had been chewed by slugs and we were allowed to keep the flower, which was subsequently preserved and donated to Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales), where hopefully it remains.

The discovery was kept very secret and so as far as I recall it didn’t get a mention in the Guardian at the time. Perhaps you’d like to make up for this 42 years later?

Mark Richards
Leominster, Herefordshire

Hereford Times

Britain's rarest plant spotted in Herefordshire for first time in 15 years

Bridie Adams
Mon 2 September 2024 


This ghost orchid was spotted in Herefordshire (Image: Richard Bate)

BRITAIN'S rarest plant has been spotted flowering in the wild for the first time in 15 years in an undisclosed Herefordshire location.

Botanist Richard Bate discovered the flower in Herefordshire, one of the only counties in the UK where it is known to grow, last month.

The ghost orchid is named for its ivory-white colour and its tendency to emerge in dark woodland areas. Unlike most wild plants, it has no leaves and no chlorophyll so it cannot photosynthesis. It instead relies entirely on nutrients from a subterranean fungal partner. Because it doesn't need sunlight, the ghost orchid exists almost entirely underground.

Dr Bate said: "Knowing that the ghost orchid is still here and hasn't gone extinct in Britain fills me with hope for the future of this species. I am deeply grateful to the botanical society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) for their support and for their dedication to studying, recording and conserving Britain's wild plants. This reminds us that even in the darkest woods, there is always hope.

"The best way to find these is to be very lucky - if you find one, buy a lottery ticket next! I'd be over the moon if this discovery encouraged someone to find another, as long as people hunt responsibly."

The exact location where Dr Bate found the orchid is being kept a secret by the society in order to protect its delicate habitat and the sensitive underground parts of the elusive orchid, which would be vulnerable to trampling.

First recorded in Britain in Herefordshire in 1854, the ghost orchid's initial identification was remarkably late for a native species, probably due to its rare and unpredictable appearances. Over the next 170 years, it was recorded flowering in Britain only a few dozen times in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. In 2009, it was declared extinct after an absence of 22 years, only to reappear a week later.

Professor Ian Denholm, an orchid expert, said: "There was a brief flurry of ghost orchid records in the '60s and '70s and I was lucky enough to see a wild specimen in the '80s. Since then, I reckon only six people have knowingly observed it in the wild in Britain. It is wonderful news that it has reappeared and let's hope it does again!"