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| It's a
funny-looking plant and not to everyone's taste
but I love them. There are slipper orchids
in different regions of the world but the ones I
know are the Cypripediums of Europe and
N America, Paphiopedilums of Asia and Phragmipediums
of S America. |
| For a
long time I had no success with the hardy Cyps -
expensive failures - so concentrated on
Paphiopedilums, beginning with hybrids,
grown as indoor plants These are easy and
very rewarding. All they need is a north- or
west-facing place where the temperature does
not drop below 50F, because their natural
habitat is up in trees under the canopy in rain
forest. Watered once a week and fed once a
fortnight they will happily grow and flower.
They have no set flowering time but the flowers
definitely last longer in Winter. |
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Paphiopedilum
Des Bruleries |
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| The
white flowers pictured above are of a plant,
bought very small, of non-flowering
size, now flowering for the first time. |
| It's a
hybrid called Paphiopedilum
Des Bruleries and well worth
waiting for. The other Paph. pictured on
the left is an unnamed hybrid but gorgeous. |
| Phragmipediums
I have had
no success with but they have the most amazing
flower forms so I suppose I'll have to keep trying
- when I can get them. |
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| After
many failures I have at last had success with Cypripedium
regina (pictured) which has now
returned twice and increased.
I intend to try with
C. californicum, which I have seen in the
wild on Mt Eddy in California in an upland moist
area. It was growing in large congested clumps. It
is said to be easy but I don't think any of them
are actually easy!
C. californicum
was growing in the open but C calceolus
and C. regina seem to prefer a
shady, humus-rich place that will not
dry out. |
| I could
pick a cheaper orchid in which to specialize but
then I would miss these beautiful and, sometimes,
astonishing flowers |
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Cypripedium
regina |
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