The Orchids of Hutton Roof
Epipactis atrorubens and more
2025
It's my pleasure to share some of the brilliant orchids found across Hutton Roof again this year.
Hutton Roof and Farleton Knott are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI's) in the North West of England, principally for their limestone pavements and calcareous grassland habitats. Some of the best examples of limestone pavements in the country can be seen here. If you've ever driven north on the M6 motorway, you can't fail to notice these hills as you enter Cumbria. Despite their separate designations, they do form a single ecological unit, commonly known as the Hutton Roof complex.
Hutton Roof has become well known in botany circles for the Dark-red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens) and its assorted varieties. My late friend Bryan Yorke recorded over 2000 individual plants across parts of the fell, kept yearly records of notable specimens, and ran a blog until the 2021 season.
These crags are also home to the rare hybrid of the Dark-red and Broad-leaved Helleborine, Epipactis x schmalhausenii, and a number of other orchid species, from the common and widespread, such as the Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) and the Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), to the marvellous and vulnerable Fly Orchid (Ophrys insectifera), towards the limit of its northern range in Britain.
And this year I was pleased to find and record another orchid species and hybrid.
Updates on notable individual Helleborine specimens have been added to the several blog pages here which were created by Bryan. Some plants have now been recorded, year on year, for well over a decade.
I hope you enjoy this overview of another orchid season on Hutton Roof, a special and unique place.
Martin
Alan Gendle
I lost a good friend last year. Alan Gendle passed away unexpectedly in September 2024.
A well-known and highly respected orchidologist, I'm not aware of anyone who knew Cumbria's orchids as well as Alan.
And his nature conservation work in the county was outstanding.
I will greatly miss our orchid hunting days over the last few years on Hutton Roof and beyond, as well as his knowledge, expertise, enthusiasm and friendship.
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Wednesday 9th April
A warm and dry spring, and as a result I found this Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula) just into flower. Only once before have I seen an EPO in flower this early on Hutton Roof. A good week earlier than usual.
Some Early Purple pictures from April
An uncommon white EPO (Orchis mascula var. alba). The plant is much smaller than last year.
Wednesday 29th April
The first time I have ever seen a Fly Orchid (Ophrys insectifera) in flower here in April.
The second week in May is the usual time, with odd spikes early in May.
Perhaps I should not be surprised with the warm dry weather.
England had its driest start to spring for 69 years, according to the the Environment Agency.
An unexpected find, a pair in flower...in April. A sign of things to come?
Tuesday 20th May
After researching a number of historic and more recent Fly Orchid records, and possible local 'sightings', it was wonderful to find a new to me colony of Fly Orchids on the complex.
It was immediately clear that there were a very good number of plants in a relatively small area (c. 25m x 35m).
So it was a pleasure to return and carry out a full count with C.A.
With full permission of the landowner we surveyed the site and the total count was 280 flowering spikes. This makes it the biggest colony across the complex by some considerable margin, and has made my year.
With the extremely dry spring weather many plants across the fell were drying out and going over. On this site there are numerous patches of sphagnum moss, indicating good moisture retention.
Hopefully this colony will continue to thrive.
About to flower
Plant with a light/white speculum
I may have to invest in more marker flags!
Sunday 25th May
Many of the Fly Orchids across Hutton Roof suffered with
the dry weather.
Friday 30th May
A visit today with a small group of friends to a nearby private site which is part of a National Nature Reserve (arranged with the kind permission and assistance of Cumbria Wildlife Trust).
Despite recording some rare and specialist species, our orchid count was disappointing, consisting of gone over Orchis Mascula, a small number of Epipactis atrorubens, and no Ophrys species we had hoped to find.
Perhaps another time in a better year...
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Common Twayblades (Neottia ovata) 31.5.25
Saturday 14th June
Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera)
Despite having counted 13 rosettes in early spring in the only colony I'm aware of on the complex, the dry conditions took their toll, and only three plants reached inflorescence, and around a week later than usual. Reduced in size, none of the three more than 10cm in height, but glorious to see them for another summer here.
And I had my first
Epipactis atrorubens in flower today
A Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)
Wednesday 18th June
A check over the main atrorubens area, around a couple of dozen plants in flower.
It seems that a higher number of plants than usual have come through non-flowering or blind, and and some which have clearly struggled with the weather.
But plenty of positives in this fantastic place
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Epipactis atrorubens var. bicolour
Epipactis phyllanthes coming through
Friday 20th June
Northern Marsh Orchids (Dactylorhiza purpurella) haven't to my knowledge been recorded on the Hutton Roof complex before (local records, landowner, BSBI, and of course Bryan Yorke's records), aside from one old report which Bryan considered dubious, and he checked the area for a few years with no success.
He had found some CSO's which he considered were likely Marsh Orchid hybrids several years ago, hence his search for the Marsh Orchid on the complex.
I was therefore extremely pleased to came across a colony of Marsh Orchids very late on last year. It was great to revisit them this year with my friend D.P. today and confirm them to be Northern Marsh.
They are surrounded by a large number of Common Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), numbering into many hundreds, and as Dactylorhizas are notorious for hybridising, a quantity of NMO x CSO hybrids (Dactylorhiza x venusta).
None of the plants we checked showed real vigour as is often seen with first generation hybrids.
I look forward to revisiting the area in the future. I know Bryan would've been over the moon that the search for this species here is over.
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NMO
CSO
CSO
CSO x NMO (Dactylorhiza x venusta)
Even though I know the crags very well, finds such as these fill me with confidence that there is still so much to be found here. It takes the total number of orchid species I know can be found here to eleven, a fifth of the total orchid species in the country.
Monday 23rd June
A pleasure to show my friend M.W. the Northern Marsh Orchids, as well as one or two Common Spotteds.
Too many CSOs to count
A white CSO (Dactylorhiza fuchsii var. albiflora)
A couple of pollinators doing their job
Grand to find a pair of E. atrorubens in an area of the complex where they are scarce.
Wednesday 25th June
A day I look forward to each year when the majority of the atrorubens in the main recording area are in flower.
In previous years I noted it as:
5th July in 2024
28th June in 2023
8th July in 2022
An early date this year, although it's evident that the spring drought has done for many of the high vigour hybrids, something I have observed before, and there clearly more non flowering plants than usual, but in this place there are still many many hundreds to appreciate.
Also very clear this year that most of the E. atrorubens var. bicolours are some days ahead of the 'Dark-red' plants.
An excellent visit today, showing a friend round the main spots and taking in nature's fantastic flower show.
For now I am happy to refer to the pale E. atrorubens as 'var. pallens' as Bryan did.
These plants have a yellow, or greenish-yellow perianth, but all have pale red staining/spotting to a degree, which is visible close up.
Although some of the recorded var. pallens failed to show this year, some did, including one Bryan dubbed 'Insipid', which has not reached inflorescence since 2021. Still to flower today (below).
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A Broad-leaved helleborine (E. helleborine). Later flowering than the E. atrorubens, it will be later in July before they bloom.
pallens 15
In an area of the crags where pale plants hadn't been found before...or so I believed until last year when J.B. came across this one, which I subsequently learnt had actually been found and photographed by C.B. in 2023, as well as another pallens specimen nearby. No trace of C.B.'s other plant today, but his first find (pallens 15) is back with us for 2025. An area worth further investigation!
pallens 15 behind the darker plant
Sunday 6th July
Apparent straight away that many of the atrorubens are now past their best. Circumstances conspired against me, meaning I missed a number of them in their prime this year.
Fortunately with so many, even late on there are plenty of absolute stunners.
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pallens 17, new this year, so worth sharing a few photos of this beauty
pallens 17
pallens 17
pallens 17
pallens 17
pallens 17. Petals have more red/pink speckling than the sepals.
pallens 17
Remains in a heavy duty cage, a plant Bryan named for the finder, PMG.
Back with us for the first time since 2023, this special plant has a cream coloured epichile and bosses, a specific colouring which is not replicated elsewhere on the fell (that we're aware of!) Shows many features of being a hybrid, including always being very late flowering.
'66' Bicolor on a light stem. Red sepals and yellow petals led Bryan to name these plants 'Bicolours', or properly Epipactis atrorubens var. bicolour.
55 (bicolour)
15a (a hybrid)
Another hybrid in the '15s' area
Pleased to see this Heath Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) back for another season.
HSO
Monday 7th July
15a
taking a close interest
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Spot the odd one out (DRH in the Wood Sage)
55l -blind this year
pallens 10, a quiet year
55c, in a flowering year has wonderful 'bellsweep' petals
55
55
55a
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The DRH's have a mild vanilla like scent, but they can't compete with the carpets of Wild Thyme for some pollinators
Plenty of variation amongst these four- as well as size, stem colour, leaves etc, the one at the back is still in full flower
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Not the best of years for hybrid '8'
hybrid 11
Nectar please
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How stunning is PMG
Friday 11th July
A warm day, with very little breeze for a change on the crag.
I had promised to show my friend P.M around the atrorubens, and although by now they're mostly over, there are still some late flowerers, and one area in particular where late flowering is the norm.
No Broad-leaved Helliborine (Epipactis helleborine) in flower as yet, but an excellent day and P.M enjoyed the limestone pavement specialist plant species.
Some atrorubens still in flower
Wednesday 16th July
The Common Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) are just a little past their best today. Surely numbering into the thousands, there does seem to be more each year.
The Broad-leaved Helliborine (Epipactis helleborine) which are not under canopy are now into flower, and are clearly a prime pollinator attraction.
A wasp getting drunk on Helleborine nectar. The nectar of the BLH does contain a tiny amount of alcohol, enough though to make a determined pollinator tipsy.
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Always guaranteed to find one or two late atrorubens if you look hard enough, particularly underneath Hazel
Friday 18th July
Most of the BLH's are now in flower, including those under canopy, what a difference a couple of days makes!
Still a handful of DRH's in bloom in the shadier spots, and it's now been over a month since I had the first one in flower.
Still in bud, just one plant remaining this year with a chance to flower. My photo below from four years ago shows the E. helleborine var. purpurea plants in the late evening sunshine at this cracking spot, in a different area of the crag to the 'Helleborine pavement'. Bryan and I visited here often as there are plenty of non-orchid rarities close by.
BLH's
All the cages in this area of the fell were made by Bryan and Alan Gendle. I have a handful of my own in another area (all with kind permission of the landowners). They aren't 100% effective, but they are a very good deterrent, and most of the caged plants escape grazing.
Getting fat ovaries: new pale DRH this year.
Friday 25th July
An enjoyable walk around the reserve with M.W, checking out lots of non-orchid plants as well as the BLH's.
The BLH's under canopy are now all in flower, and many outside are now over.
If only I had cages for everything!
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Wednesday 30th July
A few things to check over today as the season here is beginning to wind down.
the welcome bench for a rest
SW10
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Glad I returned to the variegated BLH duo today
Absolutely stunning
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Overall, I would describe 2025 as a fair year for the E. atrorubens here.
Overall, I would describe 2025 as a fair year for the E. atrorubens here.
The Fly Orchids were out early this year, and I anticipated that the atrorubens would be too. They were, from my first on 14th June, to 25th June being the day when I found the majority of them to be in bloom.
An early start to the flowering season, but the spring drought did for the high vigour hybrids. I have observed this in previous years, so it was not unexpected.
There were also a higher amount of non-flowering plants than usual, and a number of plants noticeably stunted or smaller than usual .
That several of the recorded pale specimens (E. atrorubens var. pallens) did not reach inflorescence is not unusual, and it was pleasing to find some new ones this year.
The rain did come though in May and June, and the atrorubens came out in their hundreds, making even a fair year for them here a brilliant sight.
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A question I am often asked is 'How many Helleborine hybrids are there on Hutton Roof?'
The first generation (F1) hybrids become fairly straightforward to spot once you're familiar with them. Beyond that, it remains traditional taxonomy - 'following the clues' as Bryan used to say. You can read the notes on the page 'Identification from physical features of the hybrid.'
Ultimately, it would take genetic analysis to conclusively prove how much 'naughtiness' is going on here. although the answer is undoubtedly 'plenty'!
Lancaster University are currently carrying out some pioneering biodiversity research work on Hutton Roof. It would be ideal if a future student was interested in work more narrowly focused on the Helleborines here.
It is, after all, such a special place.
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This year I have had the pleasure of seeing ten orchid species here, including the finding and recording of the Northern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza purpurella) and NMO x CSO hybrid (Dactylorhiza x vensuta) for the first time.
And my highlight has to be finding the huge colony of Fly Orchids. A colony that has every chance of thriving in the future, and I'm already looking forward to showing friends round them next year.
I hope you've enjoyed this brief overview of my orchid year on Hutton Roof.
The Dark-red Helleborines as usual, were wonderful, despite it not being a vintage year.
It's these rare and beautiful plants which bring many a visitor here in summer.
But there is so much else in this botanically rich corner of south-east Cumbria.
This blog is centred on Orchidacae, and even within this family there are species likely still waiting to be found here. This year more than ever confirms that.
Epipactis atrorubens...and more
Martin
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