Species of the Month: June 2026

Bee Orchid is perhaps our most beautiful native species of orchid, named for the resemblance of its flower to a bee. The species also emits the scent of a female bee, in hopes of attracting male bees to enable pollination. The species can self pollinate, a useful workaround when suitable bees are unavailable.

The species is fairly unmistakable, with their pink outer petals and brown and yellow inner section mimicking a bee. The plant is fairly small, with a rosette of base leaves and a slender stalk up to 15cm holding 2-10 flower heads. The species was traditionally confined to chalk grassland and other specialised habitats, but as an opportunistic coloniser it can now be found anywhere with disturbed habitat. Records in south Wales include gardens, road verges, coal spoil and even supermarket car parks! The species has benefitted from reduced mowing regimes and likely increasingly warm winter temperatures.

You can learn more about Bee Orchids from the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland and Naturespot.

LERC Wales holds just over 2,200 records for Bee Orchid in Wales, you can view the Wales-wide distribution map on Aderyn here. We hold just 1,246 records of Bee Orchid in the SEWBReC area. You can view the 1km distribution map of the SEWBReC area on Aderyn here.

If you spot Bee Orchids during June (or at any other time of year) please send us the record, ideally via SEWBReCORD or the LERC Wales App. Instructions on how to submit records are available here.