TISBURY has struck botanical gold after a colony of rare bee orchids was discovered growing on a disused allotment.

More than 100 of the valuable plants were discovered by chance last month during a routine visit to keep the allotments tidy.

They had grown up to 18 inches high and each carried up to 13 flower heads making them even more special. Specimens found in the wild are usually about four inches high with only a few blooms each.

Pam Chave, of Tisbury's natural history society, said that the special find had been inspected by both local botanists and orchid experts, who soon learned of its existence on the professional grapevine.

Since the allotment where the orchids are flourishing has not been cultivated for 15 years, it falls to Tisbury parish council to look after the fragile blooms, in the hope that they will flower again next year.