A Ghost Orchid has been discovered flowering in England, the first time since 2009 that the enigmatic plant has been recorded on British soil
The Ghost Orchid, considered by many to be Britain’s rarest plant, has been rediscovered in Britain for the first time since 2009 and only the second time since the 1980s. The find was made by Richard Bate, a member of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and a keen amateur botanist since childhood.
Bate’s passion began with an encounter with a Bee Orchid when he was just 10, inspiring him to spend 30 years searching British woodlands for the elusive Ghost Orchid. A dental surgeon by profession, in his free time his passion for finding wild orchids has taken him all over the world.
His eye for detail was rewarded earlier this month when he found and photographed a single Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum) at a site in England. The find has been authenticated by the BSBI but the location is being kept secret to protect the delicate habitat and the sensitive underground parts of the orchid. They would be vulnerable to trampling by enthusiasts who visit sites annually in the hope of finding the “uber-elusive” plant.
“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,” Bate, a father-of-three, told Positive News. “I am deeply grateful to the BSBI for their unwavering support of botanists like me and for their dedication to studying, recording and conserving Britain’s wild plants. This discovery reminds us that even in the darkest woods, there is always hope.”
This discovery reminds us that even in the darkest woods, there is always hope
The Ghost Orchid (pictured below) is named for its pallid ivory-white colour and its tendency to emerge in the deepest, darkest shade of woodland. Unlike most of Britain’s wild plants, it has no leaves and doesn’t produce chlorophyll, meaning it can’t photosynthesise. Instead, it relies on nutrients from a subterranean fungal partner. Because it doesn’t need sunlight, the Ghost Orchid exists almost entirely underground, only appearing above the leaf litter on the rare occasions when the conditions are conducive to flowering.
‘Knowing that the Ghost Orchid is still here and hasn’t gone extinct in Britain fills me with hope’ says Richard Bate, who took this photograph of the plant earlier this month
First recorded in Britain in Herefordshire in 1854, the Ghost Orchid’s initial identification was unusually 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 2009, it was declared extinct after an absence of 22 years, only to reappear a week later. Bate’s discovery earlier this month is the only sighting in the last 15 years.
Prof Ian Denholm, one of BSBI’s two national expert referees on orchids, said: “Ghost Orchid has long been the ‘holy grail’ for British botanists. There was a brief flurry of records in the 1960s and 1970s, and I was lucky enough to see a single specimen in the mid-1980s. 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.”
‘Uber elusive’ Ghost Orchids that Bate spotted in France in 2022. Image: Richard Bate
Dr Kevin Walker, BSBI head of science, added: “Anyone who has tried and failed to see this enigmatic plant will know just how skilful and lucky you have to be to find them. They are incredibly hard to spot amongst the leaf litter and often only persist for a matter of hours or days, being avidly predated by all manner of creatures, ranging from slugs to deer.”
I’d be over the moon if this discovery encouraged someone to find another
Because of the enigmatic nature of this orchid, it remains possible that it could be discovered in entirely new sites in England or elsewhere in Britain. At the historic English sites, it favours dark woodland of beech or oak but elsewhere in Europe it has also been found under pine trees.
Bate has some advice for budding searchers: “The best way to find these things is to be very, 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 and follow the BSBI’s Code of Conduct.”
Main image: the plant that Richard Bate spotted in England this month, photographed by him
The Ghost Orchid page on the BSBI’s online Plant Atlas has more information about the elusive plant. Tips and resources for orchid hunters are available here. Any possible Ghost Orchid sightings should be reported to the BSBI for confirmation by emailing [email protected]
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