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First spring flowers backlit snowdrops on sunshine glade.

$Short to medium; stem hairy above, purplish below. Leaves 4-8, oblong to lanceolate, pointed, folded lengthwise, decreasing in size upwards. Flowers 7-14; sepals greenish with faint violet or purplish-brown stripes; petals whitish with a pink base; lip white with a yellow blotch and purplish lines, the tip oval with a frilly margin. Fruit hairy.\nHabitat: Marshes, fens and other damp places, occasionally dune slacks.\nFlowering Season: July to August.\nDistribution: Throughout Europe, except the extreme North.\n\nThis nice Species is quite rare in the Netherlands. Most to be seen in the Coast Areas and scattered in the rest of the Country.$

$Orchis purpurea, the lady orchid, is a herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Orchis of the family Orchidaceae. It is native to Europe, northern Africa, Turkey and the Caucasus. The lady orchid is a terrestrial plant that grows in sloping woodlands, particularly in mixed deciduous / oak forests, but occasionally occur in meadows. It prefers limestone or chalk soil and partially shaded locations at an altitude of 0–1,350 metres (0–4,429 ft) above sea level.\n\nThe lady orchid is a perennial plant that grows to a height of 30–100 centimetres (12–39 in). The leaves are broad and oblong-lanceolate, forming a rosette about the base of the plant and surrounding the flower spike. They are fleshy and bright green, and can be up to 15 cm long. The inflorescence is densely covered with up to 50 flowers. The sepals and upper petals are violaceous or purple (hence the Latin name purpurea of the species). The flower's labellum is pale pink or white, with a center spotted by clusters of violaceous or purple hairs.\n\nThe lady orchid is pollinated by bees and flies. The flowers produce a scent that mimics the pheromones of female bees and flies. When a bee or fly visits the flower, it is tricked into collecting pollen on its body. The pollen is then transferred to the stigma of another flower when the bee or fly visits it to collect nectar.\n\nThe lady orchid is a rare plant in many parts of its range. It is threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and overcollection. The lady orchid is a protected species in some countries, including the United Kingdom and France.$

Red flowers in a flower bed on a summer day

Butterfly orchis (Anacamptis papilionacea) in Cyprus field

Acanthus spinosus (Spiny Acanthus, Spiny Bear's Claw)

Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum jankae) in natural habitat

Blooming yucca Desert plant with white flowers

Red mountain flowers in nature on a spring day

$Epipactis helleborine, the broad-leaved helleborine, is a terrestrial species of orchid with a broad distribution. It is a long lived herb which varies morphologically with ability to self-pollinate. \nDescription:\nEpipactis helleborine can grow to a maximum height of 1 m or more under good conditions, and has broad dull green leaves which are strongly ribbed and flat The flowers are arranged in long drooping racemes with dull green sepals and shorter upper petals. The lower labellum is pale red and is much shorter than the upper petals. \nFlowering occurs June–September. \nHabitat:\nFound in woods and hedge-banks and often not far from paths near human activity. It is one of the most likely European orchids to be found within a city, with many sites for example in Glasgow, London and Moscow. Sometimes spotted beside car parks. \nEpipactis helleborine is known for its successful colonization of human-made or anthropogenic habitats such as parks, gardens or roadsides. These roadside orchids exhibit special features such as large plant size and greater ability to produce flowers. Pollination plays a huge role as pollinators such as Syrphidae, Culicidae, Apidae etc. possess greater species diversity and visits the flowering sites more in anthropogenic habitats as compared to native ones. The visitation rates along with the reproductive success of these orchids are higher in large populations as they are more attractive to pollinators. \n\nDistribution:\nThis species is widespread across much of Europe and Asia, from Portugal to China, as well as northern Africa (source Wikipedia).\n\nThis is a very common Species in the described Habitats in the Netherlands.$

$Calanthe discolor\nEbine Flower$

$Lamium purpureum. \nPurple Deadnettle naturalizes on the Green Timbers Greenway in Surrey, British Columbia. Invasive species. \nPlant Hardiness Zone 8A.$

Close up photo of an Bear's Breeches (Acanthus Mollis) flower.

$Low to short perennial or biennial; stems numerous, erect, unbranched, hairless or with 2 lines of hairs. Leaves lanceolate, 2-pinnately-lobed, hairless or slightly hairy; bracts similar to the leaves, though smaller.\nFlowers pink or red, 15-25mm long, in lax spikes, the upper lip of the corolla blunt, slightly curved, 2-toothed near the apex; calyx not 2-lipped, hairless, inflated in fruit.\nHabitat: Bogs, marshes, damp heaths, moors and open woodland on peaty soils, to 1800m.\nFlowering Season: April-July.\nDistribution: Throughout Europe, Except the Faeroes, Iceland and N Scandinavia.\n\nThis is a scarce Species in the described Habitats in the Netherlands.$

Australia's best known wildflower is the Sturt Desert Pea which grows in harsh arid areas.

Pink Butterfly Orchid (Orchis papilionacea) in natural habitat

Indian Warrior; Pedicularis densiflora; Modini Mayacamas Precerve, Sonoma County, California, Serpentine Area; Orobanchaceae, red flower

Wild orchid; scientific name; Anacamptis coriophora

Close-up of an Early Purple Orchid blooming in Spring.

Acanthus spinosus, Spiny Bear's Breeches flowers in a garden

Spadix of Himantoglossum hircinum orchid with ants on a meadow

Tiny reed warblers hunting insects in the grass

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