The Violet Limodore is one of the most rare and beautiful German orchids. Regularly this species is to be found only along the Upper Rhine and in the Eifel. It is estimated that only circa 500 plants grow throughout Germany. More frequently the species is to be found in Southern Europe.

The Violet Limodore evokes somewhat a blue ‚giant asparagus‘. The leaves are shriveled to rudimentary scale leaves. The plant produces almost no chlorophyll, so that the plant is depending on root fungi over the entire lifetime. The Limodore is like the Coral-root Orchid a mycoheterotrophic plant. Remarkable are the beautiful and great light to dark blue flowers.

Beside of Limodorum abortivum exists in the Western Mediterranean area also Limodorum trabutianum, which blooms circa two weeks later.