Protected by law

In Luxembourg, all orchids are protected (RDG du 8 janvier 2010). They must not be harvested, destroyed or otherwise damaged. This is not yet enough to ensure the survival of the species in the long term. The appropriate habitats must also be preserved.

Semi-dry grasslands, unimproved wet meadows and other nutrient-poor open grassland sites are characterised by a high species richness with many specialist animal and plant species. The biggest threats to these valuable habitats are the lack of or inadequate use or management and the unintentional nutrient input from adjacent, intensively cultivated agricultural surfaces. Many areas are isolated and small in extent, which means that there is no exchange between sites and many remnant populations have little chance of survival in the long term.

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Many orchid sites are in nature reserves or protected habitats. These areas need to be regularly maintained, so that the orchid populations are preserved in the long term. This care is provided by the municipal associations for nature conservation, the biological stations, the Nature Administration with the district foresters and NGOs for the protection of nature.