Wild pink and white orchidOnce you’ve looked up at the cliffs of the Gorges du Tarn, don’t forget to look down at a more discreet but nonetheless famous treasure on the ground: wild orchids!
They come in all shapes and sizes, and the most famous of them all is, of course, the ” Sabot de Vénus “.
Sabot de vénus
Wild orchid, the pyramidal orchis.
Sabot de Venus" wild orchid on the Gorges du Tarn Natura 2000 site. 
Sabot de Vénus" wild orchids. Protected species on the Causse de Sauveterre and Causse Méjean.DID YOU KNOW?
Listed on France’s Red List of Threatened Flora, the Venus Lady’s Slipper is so rare at European and national level that it has benefited from this decree. In France, it is found at altitudes of between 300 and 1,200 meters. In 1999, an inventory revealed that the Gorges du Tarn site in Lozère was one of the most favorable for observing these flowers, and with good reason: the Gorges du Tarn population is probably the 3rd largest in France.
It’s easy to recognize: it’s a perennial plant between 25 and 60 centimetres tall, with large, purple flowers and a yellow ” labellum ” with purple stripes. Flowering varies from year to year, depending on light, humidity and temperature. It occurs once or twice a year, often between May and June.
On the banks of the Tarn, but also on the Causse Méjean and/or the Causse de Sauveterre. Wild orchids flower between May and June.
