Hardy orchid plants, tubers, and seeds must only be obtained in an ethical way since it is vital that we respect and protect vulnerable wild orchid populations in these times of habitat loss and climate change. It is illegal to dig up wild orchids and, in virtually all circumstances, to pick or take seed from them without the landowner’s permission. There are also some particularly rare orchids in the U.K. that have still greater protection, under Schedule 8 of the 1981 Wildlife & Countryside Act. Only Natural England can give permissions for these. There are 11 species listed, including for example Ophrys sphegodes, the Early spider orchid and Himantoglossum hircinum, the Lizard orchid.

 

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Orchid plants are best obtained from reputable specialist plant nurseries. They acquire plants from a variety of legitimate sources including plants laboratory grown from seed and plants vegetatively propagated on-site. Additionally they sometimes have donations or purchases from landowners or from rescue operations where populations of plants are about to be destroyed by construction works etc. Orchid seed can be obtained from one’s own flowering plants, from landowners with permission, from the Hardy Orchid Society (H.O.S.) seed bank, and sometimes from specialist nurseries and alpine growers. The Conservation section of the H.O.S. website has further useful guidance on this subject.

 

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Hardy orchid plants are sometimes offered for sale at specialist plant fairs, including at Hardy Orchid Society meetings. These tend to be from legitimate sources, but one should be wary of individual plants offered for sale on the internet, for example on eBay. Even if they are described as being from private land, there should be a high level of suspicion. Obtaining plants from European and overseas sources, involving CITES and Phytosanitary regulations, is also likely to be even more difficult after Brexit than it was before.

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