In honor of St. Patrick’s Day that recently passed, I thought we should give tribute to the orchids native in Ireland.

Orchids grow almost anywhere in the world. They thrive in thick lush rainforests, mountainous areas, and can even be found in dark deep caves. Most orchids native to Ireland though are all terrestrials, meaning they all grow on the ground.

These native orchids of Ireland like to thrive in places where it is undisturbed. The soil is very low in nutrients, and there is little competing vegetation. There are currently 30 known orchid species native to Ireland. One type that is found only there is the Dactylorhiza occidentalis or more popularly known as the Western Marsh Orchid.

These orchids have light pink to purple speckled flowers with long sword-shaped leaves. If you wish to grow them, they are best grown in acidic soils. They seldom do well in pots. Rather grow them in open grounds in your garden. They prefer light shade but can tolerate full sunlight as long as you don’t let their roots dry out. Once they’re situated in your garden grounds, expect them to propagate naturally.

If you wish to visit Ireland and see their wild orchids in bloom, try going there from early May to late June. You can visit places such as North Bull Island in Dublin, The Raven, County Wexford, Killard Point in County Down and Burren of County Clare. They are sites where wild Irish orchids grow. If you wish to grow Irish orchids, it is best to learn their natural environmental needs to successfully grow them in your greenhouses.

Glasnevin National Botanical Gardens in Ireland houses over 2,000 species of orchids under the Irish National Collection of orchids. There has been an ongoing conservation project concentrating on the orchid species of their land.

Let out the Irish pride with Irish orchids!

Do you have any Irish orchids in your collection? Leave us a comment below and let us know.

For more simple tips to grow beautiful orchids, see these 6 orchid care tips.