Bedfordshire

Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera)

The flowers form a fantastic mimic of a bumblebee visiting a pink flower. Bee orchids like a bit of disturbance – in Bedfordshire they occur in disused quarries, on roadsides, even waste ground in towns.

Habitat: open grassland on base-rich soil. Flowers: June-July

Image © Andrew N Gagg's PHOTOFLORA