The Northern Marsh Orchid, is a native root tuber found, as you might hope from the name, in the northern half of the British Isles. lt has striking deep red-purple flowers with broken line markings and has leaves with few or no spots.

Reaching about 25 cm in height it is shorter than its southern namesake, the Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa), which rather neatly occupies the southern part of England and Wales, with little territorial overlap. The Southern Marsh orchid is up to twice as tall (50 cm) and has less deeply coloured flowers.

Flower: Little (7 - 9 mm) lipped red-purple flowers with broken line markings and a stout spur in big spikes up to 10 cm long.
Leaves: Dark green lanceolate, few spots (can be none) near hooded leaf tips.
Habitat: Marshes (of course!), fens, bogs, dune slacks.
Height to about 25 cm
Typically flowering: June - July