Click to Magnify Image
Counts and Records 2025
A reduced survey was done in 2025, and the total number of Spiranthes romanzoffiana found was 151, in the locations below.
Lough Cullin, ‘Nursery’ area and beach, Car Park 1 beyond Foxford. 26/7/25
In previous years this site has yielded over 60 specimens, however, in 2025, only about 5 were discovered, barely visible. This area was very clogged with moss balls,
probably washed in during the many storms of the winter of 2024/25. The moss deposit in places was up to 30cm deep.
However, on the beach area a little south of the Nursery area, (a grassy ‘island’) there was very little moss deposition, and 7 specimens were found — much the
same as in previous years. Many were gone over, with just the topmost flowers still white and open but one good . (See images BELOW)
Continuing Record and Updating
for this Species
How and when to Look for
Spiranthes romanzoffiana: Mid July
- End September
Sites will need to be visited, once or twice, as this
species may emerge in early Summer and even late
Summer. Loughs Cullin, Conn and Levally Lough have
made up the running totals shown ABOVE.
It would be good to know of records in other parts of
Ireland as a comparison? Lough. Allen used to have
large numbers in the past (2008-2016) but we have little
records of them more recently.
This species can emerge in groups (or singly)
throughout its season — which is a long one governed
always by water levels in Spring and Summer. If
Autumn comes and flowering Spiranthes are flooded
they may not survive but may well re-emerge in the
following Summer!
Where to Look…
Have you seen plants like those ABOVE on your
Farm or Shoreline or any lowland grassy or
sandy areas close to water. This is an extremely
rare (and protected) plant and should not be
disturbed. There is nothing exactly matching the
spiral flower of this species* but look for flat, moist,
grassy or sandy shorelines,where low growing
bushes or small trees like Myrtle and Alder and
Royal Fern, plentiful on most lake shores.
* Except the tiny Spiranthes spiralis, seen in August
and September
Welcome to our new Spiranthes page: 2023 … 24… 25…
This New Page has been set up to bring all data referring
to S. romanzoffiana to one place. This file will include data
from a collection of Surveys over many Years. See Yellow
box BELOW
Amazing seeds! The Irish Lady’s Tresses seed capsule is
shown (BELOW), We believe that this has been a rare
occurrence up to now. Climate change?
To make the most of these opportunities we need…
TIME… to look and explore possible sites
GOOD WEATHER … but at least a little rain!
ABILITY to get to these locations…. Not all will be
easy to access!
CONTACTS…If you have seen and photographed
these orchids wherever you are, we’d love to know!
Contact us HERE
Or text Fran or Dave at
00353 868162447
Limited Survey
Survey started (July)
151
For 2023, 2024 and 2025 results, see FURTHER
DOWN THIS PAGE
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Part Survey, The Lagoon, N.
L. Conn. Flood placed seeds.
YEAR Description Count/Link
Spiranthes numbers, places,
association, etc
Conservation , conclusion,
new plans. (1 of 2 pages)
New survey sites but number
down due to floods.
Settlement pattern E.Mayo
FIRST nearly full Survey.
‘Coming from America?
Spiranthes romanzoffiana in Ireland
We have a very large data source from the biggest
survey site of this species in Europe around the East
Mayo Lakes.…
Raised Water Levels show up well in the
4 images Above and Left of this box.
Several of these images show specimen
growing under water and looking like
survivors when we visited. Most shores
on the North West corner of L. Cullin
have continuous specimens of
Spiranthes but not in large numbers.
The main population of this species in
the area lies along the top shore of L.
Cullin either side of the Pontoon Bridge.
Both of these areas have been hit with
problems. East of the Bridge a large
population (90+) Spiranthes
romanzoffiana has been largely wiped
out by a small number of horses grazing
here, where they never used to graze
much before.
West of the Bridge is a smaller colony
occurring both on a headland and the
coast alongside the R310 connecting
both sides of these large lakes. L. Cullin
is shallow and stony and L. Conn is deep
with fewer visible boulders away from its
shores.
All these Photos are available at a
larger scale; just click on the Image!
Image (ABOVE) shows Car Park 1 where a very significant ‘Nursery’
for Spiranthes has been established over many years. This is a very
popular site where many people come and park their cars and
vans. This never caused any significant problem to the resident
plants which are often protected by Alder and Myrtle bushes. The
area is not cut, except for a small path for people to walk through to
the shore. The site shown shown had a very high count… 64 young
plants emerging during the Summer, mostly going on to flower and
should appear again next year.
These specimens were seen further into strand type area now existing in other
parts of the 3 Car Parks existing here. This area has little clear sand as existed
formerly and reeds and Alder are more and more dominant. The plants (ABOVE)
were found in a channel near the open water of the Lake.
This area is evolving rapidly with more Reeds over larger areas and Heather and
Gorse taking over where they didn’t exists in the past. A large flattish ‘Strand’ exists
on the western border of this most northerly of the 3 Car Parks in the area. This is
advantageous to existing Spiranthes and more records were seen here.
The (ABOVE) is an interesting and unusual specimen —
with flowers occurring lower on the plant than usual as
opposed to a compact flowering head as shown in the
middle image. The image ABOVE was noticed near the
main part of the ‘Nursery’. Differences in the flower,
and the presence of a single flower on a lower leaf
node, made the specimen stand out from the normal!
WildWest.ie
Spiranthes final Count
371 specimens were recorded this
year before severe flooding took over .
Cloghans, East shore of L.Conn DATE: 3/ 8/25: Spiranthes 47
The water level was good here and none of the plants seen were
submerged. This is a very pleasant site, a little promontory in a
quiet fishing bay,with gently sloping grassy areas down to the
shoreline. Many of the other Spiranthes sites surveyed around
Lough Conn are flat and stony and the plants are more exposed
to bad weather and storms. Cloghans is probably one of the
easiest of our sites to suvey!
Most of the specimens found at Cloghans were well
gone over (some blackened and quite difficult to
discern among the grass) but a couple were more
robust and still had a few flowers. (See image ABOVE)
47 Spiranthes were recorded here this year (2025) which
compares well with numbers from previous years.
Fishing Shore, Massbrook, West shore of Lough
Conn. DATE: 18/8/25: Spiranthes: 5
This site had been a good area for Spiranthes, but
none had been found along the stony shoreline
there for the past 4 years. It was good to record five
specimens, growing well, and we look forward to
perhaps seeing more next year.
The Lagoon, north shore of Lough Conn, DATE: 18/8/25 : Spiranthes: None found
A lovely habitat, where Spiranthes flourished for a number of years, but they have not been seen
since the area was bulldozed some 5 years ago, removing the Alder and Myrtle trees and bushes and
levelling the ground where pools and streams were. Althoughvegetation is growing again and some
pools exist, no Spiranthes were found. It remains a lovely spot though, and hopefully, Irish Lady’s
Tresses may be seen here again?
Counts and Records 2024
Records for 2024 are listed BELOW with 534 specimens recorded. Drop in numbers is partly due to on-going destruction of north shore habitat which traditionally had upwards of 100
specimens. Photographs Below…
The three images BELOW bring an end to 2024 records. This year was a pretty good year. The plants below were exposed until late August when rains/flooding took over. 534
specimens recorded was a good result in the circumstances.
Second visit to Irish Lady’s Tresses sites at Lough Cullin today, July 30th. Weather and water level perfect and another 50 recorded, making the
total of Spiranthes romanzoffiana seen so far (in the north east corner of Lough Cullin) to 109. Just attaching a collection of photos for now, more
surveys to come. Oh, and three more Spiranthes on the Errew peninsula on Lough Conn, thanks to Shelagh and William for sending these records!
If you happen to see them in other parts of Mayo (or wherever) do let us know?
Spiranthes 2026
The yellow table ABOVE provides Links to many years of
recording Spiranthes romanzoffiana. These include
Annual Reports of this species around three north Mayo
Lakes , reporting Numbers, Survival and Reproduction.
This Table will also be retained and added to as surveys
are carried out. (2026)
Levally Lough DATE 3/8/2025: Numbers of Spiranthes 6
Four Spiranthes were found and recorded in the small bay beyond the Car park. All were very withered and hard to discern among the the grass. Two other specimens
were found later (but not GPS’d) along the shore nearer to the Car Park. No photos taken here.
Victoria Bay area, West shore of Lough Conn DATE: 3/8/26 : Numbers of Spiranthes 47
This is a very flat site, probably 100m at least from top of shore to the water. Clumps of Myrtle bushes and small Alder trees are scattered along the site and often the
Spiranthes can be found in the shelter of this vegetation. However, down towards the water line, some plants were found, with no protection and close to water’s edge.
These may be more vulnerable to winter storms. However, one plant (middle image below) seems to be surviving even in the mud!
There are many shallow ‘scrapes’ or damp depressions where water has lodged, and the Spiranthes often were found at the edge of these little pool areas. Length of the
area surveyed approximately 500m.
ABOVE: Spiranthes romanzoffiana from the Cuilkillew /Victoria Bay area of West Lough Conn
Apologies for the absence of many available Lady’s Tresses; they are simply flooded
or broken or inaccessible! The mountain, Nephin, towers over the lakes and
lowlands and probably attracts wind borne seeds to this place. In the meantime we
show a collection of recent images, some from higher ground and some
underwater. This species can survive well under water but not in stormy
conditions. At present our records show about 300 plants — half what we recorded
last year and even lower than 2021. BELOW are two fine clumps from Victoria Bay
on east Lough Conn with BELOW LEFT a rare specimen away from the immediate
shore and growing happily on a stony drainage ditch beside a bog!
Counts and Records 2023
The Images Below show the Situation that brought the 2023 Spiranthes seasonto an end! From mid July until mid January 2024,
Ireland endured a deluge;CLIMATE CHANGE seems to be playing with us! After a long Hot Spring the rest of the Summer of 2023
became wet and has remained so until 2024
,
:
2023
