Cypripedium orchid are widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including most of Europe, Russia, China, Central Asia, Canada the United States, Mexico, and Central America. There are about 58 species.
Cypripedium orchid also called as slipper orchids, lady's slipper orchids, moccasin flower, camel's foot, squirrel foot, steeple cap, Venus' shoes, and whippoorwill shoe, Arietinum, Calceolaria, Calceolus, Ciripedium, Criogenes, Criosanthes, Cypripedilon, Fissipes, Hypodema, Sacodon, Schizopedium, is a genus of the Orchidaceae family. This genus was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.
IDENTIFY CYPRIPEDIUM ORCHID PLANT
Cypripedium orchid are widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including most of Europe, Russia, China, Central Asia, Canada the United States, Mexico, and Central America. There are about 58 species which include the Californian lady’s slipper (Cypripedium californicum), the Mexican Pelican Orchid (Cypripedium irapeanum), the Moccasin flower (Cypripedium acaule), Cypripedium parviflrum from Minnesota and the yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus). The Chinese Cypripediums are found at altitudes of 2000-4000 meters.
It is a terrestrial deciduous orchid with a rhizome with a bud at the end. The stem grows from the bud at the tip of the rhizome. They die back over winter and shoot again in spring. Most of them have an elongate erect stem, with leaves growing along its length. But the Cypripedium acaule has a short underground stem with leaves springing from the soil. The often hairy leaves can vary from ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, folded along their length. The stems lack pseudobulbs.
Slipper orchids bloom on a terminal, 1 to 12 flowered inflorescence with leafy floral bracts holding showy flowers. The sepal is erect to porrect over the lip and the lateral sepals are united to form a synsepal. The petals are spreading, linear-lanceolate and sometimes twisted. The deeply saccate lip has the margins inrolled, the column is porrect, the staminode has a unique shield-like. There are 2 anthers that are behind the staminode.
CYPRIPEDIUM ORCHID PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Cypripedium orchid will not take strong direct sunlight and should be grown in light shade equivalent to about 70% shade cloth for protection.
Temperature:
The plants from this genus are regarded as very cold hardy cool growing orchids. Their hybrids are capable of tolerating temperatures below freezing but they do not like hot summer temperatures. They prefer a cool shaded area suited to growing ferns. They should be grown in the coolest part of the shade-house. Their cool temperature requirements suggest they are more suited to elevated highland and mountainous regions. To grow them well you would need to be able to limit daily maximum temperatures to less than 26°C. The Chinese Cypripediums are reported to need a temperature range of 0-20°C.
Humidity:
These orchids prefer moderate levels of humidity.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Cypripedium orchid can be grown in large pots and require repotting about every 4 to 5 years. They prefer a well-aerated and free draining humus rich soil that does not readily dry out. Adding perlite to improve drainage and aeration is recommended.
When repotting place the bud just at the surface of the potting mix but do not bury it. It can be covered with a light dressing of sand or fine gravel to protect it from pests.
Watering:
These plants should be kept uniformly moist but not over wet and not allowed to dry out. They should not be allowed to get over wet during winter and should be allowed to become almost dry when they are dormant in winter.
Fertilizer:
They should be fed as soon as growth starts in spring with applications at about 10 days intervals. A weak half strength solution of balanced fertilizer can be applied alternating with seaweed fertilizer.
BUY CYPRIPEDIUM ORCHID PLANT AND RELATED PRODUCTS
SOME SPECIES AND VARIETIES OF CYPRIPEDIUM ORCHID WITH CULTURE SHEET AND CARE TIPS:
- Cypripedium acaule - Moccasin Flower - The Pink Ladies Slipper
- Cypripedium calceolus - The Limestone Loving Cypripedium
- Cypripedium californicum - California Lady's Slipper
- Cypripedium candidum - Small White Lady's Slipper
- Cypripedium flavum - The Yellow Cypripedium
- Cypripedium formosanum - The Beautiful Cypripedium
- Cypripedium kentuckiense - Kentucky lady's slipper - Southern lady's slipper
- Cypripedium macranthos - The Large Flowered Cypripedium
- Cypripedium micranthum - The Small Flowered Cypripedium
- Cypripedium montanum - Large lady's slipper - Mountain lady's slipper - White lady's slipper
- Cypripedium parviflorum - Yellow lady's slipper - Moccasin flower
- Cypripedium reginae - Showy Lady's-slipper
- Cypripedium x ventricosum - The Inflated Cypripedium
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