Gymnadenia nigra
Local name: Gymnadénie noire, Gymnadénia noir, Nigritelle noire, Orchis vanille
Gymnadenia nigra, also known as the black vanilla orchid, is a species of orchid and the provincial flower of Jämtland, a historical province of Sweden. It is a perennial species found in the major mountain ranges of Europe, including the Pyrenees and the Alps, into the Balkans and central Scandinavia, though its population has declined in the past decades due to over-harvesting.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnadenia_nigra
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Family
Orchidaceae
Genus
Gymnadenia
Gymnadenia nigra belongs to the family Orchidaceae, order Asparagales, within the Liliopsida class.
Species Profile
Gymnadenia nigra, also known as the black vanilla orchid, is a species of orchid and the provincial flower of Jämtland, a historical province of Sweden. It is a perennial species found in the major mountain ranges of Europe, including the Pyrenees and the Alps, into the Balkans and central Scandinavia, though its population has declined in the past decades due to over-harvesting. In some countries, including Italy, it is listed as an endangered species. It has a maximum height of 25 cm.
Gymnadenia nigra is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized alpine and subalpine grassland environments. Climate change poses an additional significant threat as warming temperatures force this cold-adapted species to retreat to higher elevations with increasingly limited suitable habitat.
Key Facts
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Gymnadenia nigra is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized alpine and subalpine grassland environments. Climate change poses an additional significant threat as warming temperatures force this cold-adapted species to retreat to higher elevations with increasingly limited suitable habitat.
Climate change and warming temperatures
Habitat loss and fragmentation from agricultural intensification
Changes in traditional land management practices
Overgrazing by livestock
Tourism and recreational trampling
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (EN).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | ENEndangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | ENEndangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Gymnadenia nigra (Gymnadenia nigra). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/gymnadenie-noire-gymnadenia-noir-nigritelle-noire-orchis-vanille