Himantoglossum species are virtually unknown in culture. There have been a large number of attempts with H. hircinum, but conclussions point in the same direction:

• you either focus on in-vitro multiplication and try to establish them with companion plants once they come out of the bottle
• or you create suitable conditions in the garden and try to establish seedlings … with companion plants

From the New Zealand Native Orchid Groups Journal #69:
Himantoglossum hircinum is the lizard orchid, its first UK record in 1641, very rare and confined to the southeast in Britain until 1900 when remarkably it began to be found throughout the country, from Yorkshire to Devon. This is a big plant, a metre or so high at roadsides in France, Spain and Italy, and easily spotted from a moving car.

I saw one patch of forty or so near Castellina di Chianti in June last year. The leaves are large and oblong, with a basal rosette and stem leaves; the stem is stout, and the flowering spike often bears eighty or so flowers. These are remarkable structures: the dorsal sepal and petals form a cap from which the extraordinary labellum emerges (literally - in the bud it forms a tight coil that unwinds and twists as the bud opens). The midlobe of the labellum is up to 8cm long, and with its leg-like appendages looks like a lizard with its head buried in the flower. The whole effect is of a ragged untidy shambles. The smell is no less remarkable - these orchids smell strongly of billy-goat, as their Latin name attests.

There are a range of rather rare subspecies of H. hircinum on continental Europe, and several other species have been described, but none is common. Flies, bees and bluebottles are attracted by the goatish perfume, and may be pollinators.

Detailed data: Aggregated observation dates from the GBIF.org network.
A colored month means an observation in habitat or collection date of a herbarium specimen with flower or inflorescence. The number refers to the year of last observation or collection.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Location
Himantoglossum adriaticum						2004							Croatia
Himantoglossum adriaticum				1902		1980	1932						Italy
Himantoglossum adriaticum							1980						Serbia
Himantoglossum affine subsp. samariense						1986							Greece
Himantoglossum affine					1972	1972							Iran
Himantoglossum affine					1982	1982							Turkey
Himantoglossum calcaratum							1933						Albania
Himantoglossum calcaratum							1980						Bosnia-Herzegovina
Himantoglossum calcaratum							1980						Serbia
Himantoglossum calcaratum							1976						Turkey
Himantoglossum caprinum						1939							Bulgaria
Himantoglossum caprinum						1975							Greece
Himantoglossum caprinum							1980						Hungary
Himantoglossum caprinum						1987	1979						Turkey
Himantoglossum caprinum subsp. rumelicum						1998							Greece
Himantoglossum caprinum subsp. levantinum						2004							Lebanon
Himantoglossum caprinum subsp. bolleanum						1985							Turkey
Himantoglossum formosum					1997	1994							Azerbaydzhan
Himantoglossum formosum						1994							Russia
Himantoglossum hircinum								1989					Bosnia-Herzegovina
Himantoglossum hircinum							1967						Bulgaria
Himantoglossum hircinum				1930	2007	1989	1972						France
Himantoglossum hircinum					1994	1958							Germany
Himantoglossum hircinum					1971	1983							Italy
Himantoglossum hircinum						1937							Morocco
Himantoglossum hircinum							1985						Spain
Himantoglossum hircinum					1995	1983	1919						Switzerland
Himantoglossum hircinum var. thuringiacum					1925								France
Himantoglossum hircinum f. genuinum					1920	1897							France

Pot culture is possible, but don't count on much progress. Generally, the plants increase their bio-mass slowly and die after flowering … if they ever flower. It's common sense not to buy plants in pots even if they're well established. If they're not taken from the wild they'll be difficult to get to flower. You could always deadhead them after flowering to save their energy, but seeds from these plants are rather difficult to come by if you want to try the more successfull technique of in-vitro germination.

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Himantoglossum hircinum
Some leaves turn brown
the tubers are also very elonged
Image Copyright Frank Meissner
http://www.erdorchideen.de/

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"Standard medium" by Svante Malmgren

(inorganic nitrogen also OK) incl 1/2 - 1 cm3 potato/ flask (20 ml medium) before sterilisation + 1,5-2% pineapple NOT MORE Sowing in March 90-100% germination Replating in approx June Start to produce leaves in late Aug (give light!) Keep rather cool during autumn and winter ( 8-12 degrees, still light) In Jan or Feb raise the temperature a little by and by Tubers are quickly produced in March-April potting mature in soil approx June "semi-dry" for 6 weeks start watering more after that Shoots will develope in Sept-early Oct

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World Checklist for Himantoglossum. With the permission of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Published on the Internet
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