This is one of the big orchids which can't impress with bright colors, it's just green, white and brown. But its form and size make it one of the most bizarre european plants.

The blossoms have an extraordinay long lip which gives the panicle a tangled exterior. Most people say their smell is unpleasant, somewhat like goats.

H. hircinum can be considered a rare orchid north of the Alps. I have found it only once at the edge of a dry meadow with many Ophrys apifera plants.

South of the Alps, there is a similar species, H. caprinum.

H. hircinum is a submediterranean plant of hot, dry limestone meadows and shrubland. It retracts the leaves in the summer and has green leaves in the winter, which can be damaged by frost.

Garden culture is possible in a hot and dry limestone bed. In cold regions, precautions against frost can be made.