Green-veined orchids, exceptionally rare in some parts of England but not so much here in Worcestershire, get their English name from the 'hood' of each flower, which appear to be lined with green veins. Morio, from their Latin name, Orchis morio, means fool and refers to the jester-like motley of its flowers. If you're able to get down low to one without crushing the vegetation around it, it's worth looking at the individual flowers of orchids to see how you might have chosen to name a species.

Pyramidal orchids mostly grow on old well-drained grassland, usually on lime soils. Rather amazingly, given the need for a specific fungus in order to grow, they can also appear on suitable soils on motorway verges, roundabouts, canal towpaths and more, proving that orchids don't read our rule books and aren't just found in meadows.

Like the name suggests, common spotted orchids are our most common UK orchid and have black spots on the leaves. A few years ago, I was amazed to find dozens of them along wide sunny rides in our woodland nature reserves (I was clearly very orchid-ignorant before my colleagues educated me). You might also spot them amongst scrub and along railway embankments as well as the more traditional meadows and grasslands. 

Perhaps my favourite orchids are bee orchids, not just because I love bees but who can resist this almost smiling-face of the flowers? Again, the name reflects what the orchid looks like - it mimics a female bee, in both scent and appearance, in order to attract male bees who fly in and try to mate with it, thus taking the pollen away with them to another flower. This photo was taken in a Worcestershire churchyard but they pop up in meadows, on verges and lawns so it's another one to look out for as you wander our beautiful county.

Wherever you are, keep a lookout for orchids. Yes, they're a bit special and don't grow 'just' anywhere but they can appear in what might first seem the most unlikeliest of places. Meadows are an obvious place to go looking but you might spot them in woodlands or your local churchyard. We know people who've stopped mowing parts of their urban garden lawns all year around and, within a year or two, orchids have begun to pop up. 

Like most flowers, orchids are delicate and don't like being trampled so if you are seeking these beauties, please keep to paths and don't tread on the vegetation. It goes without saying that you shouldn't dig up an orchid but as many are slow-growing and only flower once in their lifetime, it's important never to pick their flowers either, no matter how pretty they are.