The specific Latin name "sambucina", refers to the smell of Elder (Sambucus nigra) emanating by some plants of this species.

The scientific binomial name of this plant was initially Orchis sambucina, proposed by the Swedish naturalist and botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1755.

These plants are bulbous geophytes with underground tubers or bulbs that annually produce new stems, leaves and flowers.

[1][2][3][4][5] The elder-flowered orchid prefers fresh or dry meadows (subalpine and alpine grasslands), light woods and clearings or scrubland.

The germination behavior, plant longevity, and soil requirements have recently been reviewed for the "Biological flora of Europe" .