“[The] ghost orchid has long been the holy grail for British botanists.” said Prof Ian Denholm, one of BSBI’s two national expert referees on orchids.
“There was a brief flurry of records in the 1960s and 1970s, and I was lucky enough to see a single specimen in the mid-1980s. Since then, I reckon only six people have knowingly observed it in the wild in Britain. It is wonderful news that it has reappeared and let’s hope it does again.”
Speaking about finding the orchid, Mr Bate said: “Knowing that the ghost orchid is still here and hasn’t gone extinct in Britain fills me with hope for the future of this species.
This discovery reminds us that even in the darkest woods, there is always hope.” he said.
