spa! - Saaremaa & Muhu

SAAREMAA –
AN ORcHID-lOVER’S
PARADISE
Orchids are very delicate plants and their
special biology is of much interest to scientists.
As a result they are a protected species
in most of Europe. All of Estonia’s orchids
are protected and the best way to see them is
in wild environments, of which Saaremaa has
plenty.
Saare county’s natural environment is especially rich in wild
orchids. The flower familiar to most as the commercially bred variety
available in fine florists is descended from wild orchids. In the
wild, most orchids are native to the tropical rainforests, representing
one of the most recent developments in plant evolution. Orchids
slowly made their way from the tropics to temperate climes
and Estonia has 38 flowering species of orchid. Saaremaa has had
36 of them, with three of them now extinct. the western and southernmost
part of Saaremaa – Mustjala, Kihelkonna, lümanda and
Sõrve areas – are richest in species and number of places where
they grow. lümanda municipality with its 33 species is Estonia’s
richest municipality in terms of orchids.
Orchids have a relatively short flowering period, but they do not
all bloom at once. Attractive orchids may be found in the wild on
Saaremaa during a three-month period, from mid-May to mid-
August. this coincides with the peak tourism period, and thus orchid
tourism has become an exciting subgenre of nature tourism.
European orchid tourists and orchidologists have already discovered
Saaremaa. A completely new species discovered by Saaremaa
local tarmo Pikner in 2003 has contributed to the interest –Dactylorhiza
osiliensis Pikner. this and other orchid rarities offer visitors
much intriguing diversion. Saare county is special in terms of
the number of places where orchids grow when compared to other
areas in the region, and thus the county is a true paradise for nature
buffs.
The first orchid to bloom in early spring is the green-winged orchid,
which grows on limestone barrens. this small orchid grows
only in the western part of Estonia, near Kuressaare and on Muhu.
It is followed by the sword-leaved helleborine, native to western
Saaremaa, easily spotted due to its pure-white blossoms at the edge
of pine groves. the military orchid, burnt orchid and early purple
orchid are preparing to burst into bloom. the king of the forests on
Saaremaa blooms in June: the lady’s slipper orchid, which is Europe’s
largest orchid flower and adorns many clearings in sparse
mixed forests. The smell of the lesser butterfly orchid on meadows
around St. John’s Day is familiar to many. the early marsh orchid
and Dactylorhiza baltica can be glimpsed at the same time; they
are very visible in moist clearings and by bodies of water. A number
of helleborine species bloom later. the junipers around Sõrve
are graced by the red inflorescences of pyramidal orchid.
In general, orchids like light, but some also bloom in the forest
shade, such as the bird’s nest orchid, which seems to be dried-up
due to its light-brown colour. Many smaller species grow only in
marshy conditions. Often orchids grow in roadside ditches and
shoulders. Military orchids, common spotted orchid and dark-red
helleborine can be recognized even from a car window.
5
Platanthera bifolia
Lesser Butterfly-orchid
Weiße Waldhyazinthe