This is probably the most spectacular of all european Epipactis plants. With its large white and very beautiful blossoms, a meadow full of E. palustris plants can be a wonderful sight.

E. palustris grows on wet meadows and swamps with lime in the soil. Like almost all orchids of wet places, it has the pleasant feature that it can be transplanted easily. Furthermore, it grows well in garden culture and tends to multiply profusely.

This orchid has very long creeping rhizoms which can create daughter plants like the lily of the valley. E. palustris is a very good garden plant for beginners.

In north America grows a similar orchid with even larger, brown blossoms: Epipactis gigantea. It can be cultivated like Epipactis palustris. Hybrids between both species are possible.