Early-Purple Orchid

In the Czech Republic, this orchid mostly grows in Moravia, across the entire stretch of the Carpathian Foothills, in the Rychleby Mountains, and the intermontane zone between the Eagle Mountains and the Czech-Moravian Highlands. Now rarer than ever before, it has gone extinct in many locations. The species is at home in meadows and pastures, and in sunny forests and on forest edges. It prefers soils deficient in lime. Its flowers are deep pink, almost ruby red, but in rare cases may be coloured light pink or white. It flowers from May through June.