This looks like a beautiful plant. I read the attachment and am very embarrassed to say that my brother in law recently came back from Manitoba with a Ladyslipper as a "gift" for me that he dug out of a ditch where he said they were "all over the place". I didn't have the heart to really scold him about what he did and now I have the plant I guess I have to plant it. Anybody with suggestions about the best place to plant, sun, moisture etc.

I've seen them growing wild in 3 or 4 locations here in SK. Each time it was in sphagnum moss in shady, moist coniferous woods, edges of fens and swamps. Saw them in a new spot this June in Meadow Lake Prov. Park.

One of the native orchids found in SK whose range is listed in the Flora of Canada as far north as the Arctic Circle.

Fraser Thimble Farms had them for sale in their '05 catalogue, $44 Cdn. I think I've seen them included in prior years' catalogues, too.

This plant's sometimes floppy growth habit, relatively small white flowers, and moist coniferous woods habitat have made me reluctant to bother trying them in my prairie garden. But I grow C. reginae, and C. parviflorum, so adding another Cyp might be fun. I'll give it some thought for next year.

stanly - For Yellow and Showy Lady's Slippers (you probably were given one of these two), I'd recommend rich, moisture retentive soil (lots of manure), light shade, a spot near a sprinkler head so they don't get bone dry.

If you have C. acaule you've got a challenge, must have very acidic soil or its a goner. Images of C. acaule at link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pink Lady's Slipper

Glen, thanks for the response. I am interested because all the authorities on Cyps maintain that it is easy to grow within it's natural range (essentially all of western mountainous Canada, the far north, and in the east a far south as southern Quebec (Luer in his famous book "The Native Orchids of The US excluding Florida" even sites one locality for Thunder Bay along Lake Superior's northern shore).

So I was hoping to see if anyone on top of the world was growing it well. Reports I've read say that they don't like to grow in wet conditions when in cultivation (much like it's near cousin, C. reginae). Of course in the climate I live in now it's a moot point since I could never grow any here. I am experimenting with more warm tolerant species: formosanum, japonicum, and macranthos.

Anybody else have any experiences with this species? PF

pf - I just phoned Fraser Thimble Farms to enquire about availablity C. guttatum. Answer - almost all spoken for, 1/5 chance I'll get any. They mail them in October, have to wait till they're dormant.

FTF is located in coastal, southern BC, far warmer and wetter climate than here.

I asked the chap about growing C. passerinum. Said "they seem to be easy, essential they are dry when dormant, like all cyps".

I said I would probably try them in same conditions as C. parviflorum and C. reginae, a strategy to keep them from drying out here in summer. I've had C. parviflorum dry up and die in a windy, sunny, dry site in my garden.

He said I don't have to worry about dormant-wet the way coastal BC gardeners do, because it freezes here and we don't have soggy winters. And I haven't had to worry... mine are doing well in shady, moist sites.

I can attest to the fact that C. acaule grows on the North Shore of Lake Superior. It was fairly common in rocky areas around home, and we were always warned not to pick it. I used to think that the Lady Slipper Police would jump out of the bush if i did! :>

A good point Marcia for any native plant - leave em alone, don't dig em up.

Not sure it was clear from my post, if I add C. passerinum to my garden I'd be buying them from Fraser Thimble Farms (the reason I included the price and a supplier).

Thanks pf for raising to my attention their reputation for being grow-able. I may buy a couple next spring for my garden.

Glen, please do report on your successes. I would be particularly interested. As far as buying collected Cyps goes, most species, unless very carefully dug from their native home will perish. Each year thousands of Cyps are dug in China and sold overseas in Japan, Europe, Canada, and to a lesser extend the USA (because the laws are so restrictive). Well over half of these will die within the first year.

I'd also like to clarify the point about Cyps growing on the north shore of Lake Superior. I was specifically referring to C. passerinum, a far north species that straggles south to almost the US border (actually it can be found in the northernmest mountain ranges of Montana). The Lake Superior area is home to a number of Cyps including acaule, parviflorum (both the parviflorum variety and pubescens one), arietinum, and reginae. PF

Lori posted pics on the Alpine Forum of Cypripedium passerinum in its natural habitat in the Canadian rockies. Great pics....makes you want to go for a hike.
Jan

Here is a link that might be useful: Cypripedium passerinum in Alberta

pf - C. passerinum also grows quite a ways to the south in Saskatchewan in our Cypress Hills, not far from the US border.

So nobody is growing it? I've heard it is undemanding in its soil preference as long as it's well draining, yet moist. At least one US company is growing a few, Vermont Ladyslipper Co. I would guess it is impossible to grow south of USDA cold hardiness zone 5 (even that is really pushing it!). This species along with C. guttatum and C. yatabeanum are the coldest growing Cyps in the world, requiring a long winter dormancy (at least six months) and temperatures rarely above 80F. No doubt they are beautiful little plants! PF

I live in zone 3 and have a healthy clump of 12 or so plants of C.passerinum. I would consider the location shady with good drainage and a pH of 6.7 (if I remember correctly). I don't fertilize but will lightly water when the rest of the plants need moisture.
Here is a link to my web page that has pictures of a few different hardy orchids. If I recall the C. passerinum was the first to flower in mid May but only lasted for about 10 days.
Andre

Here is a link that might be useful: Our hardy orchids

Stanly,

Referring to the ladyslipper your brother-in-law brought back from Manitoba...

I also was given a clump of ladyslippers. I realized what she gave me the next year when they bloomed. The yellow ladyslipper grows wild in the ditches around this whole area (south of Riding Mtn National Park, to Brandon, Manitoba). The ones that grow wild here are yellow and otherwise look similar to the cyps that were pictured in the first posting. Do you know where in Manitoba he visited? The leaves of the yellow ones would be pretty dried up by now and also would be hidden in the grass in the ditches where they grow.

Since I was given the yellow ladyslippers, I have split the clump twice and each clump is now double the size of the original clump she gave me 6 years ago. I just planted the ladyslipper clumps in and amongst the other perennials in my perennial beds. They get sun all day long where they are planted. I give them no more extra water than any of the other perennials....in the wild in the ditches they don't get any extra water and also have to compete with grass for moisture. The yellow ladyslippers around here do not grow in moist areas, rather they are in the middle of nowhere in ditches.

Very nice Andre! I also really like your macranthos. Does the passerinum set seed each year? This species is supposed to be autogamous (self fertilizing). PF

Plantfreak, yes they do have seeds but only the passerinum and the others don't. A Gardenweb member asked for the pods to do some tissue culture and they should be ready the next day to be shipped.
I noticed one site said passerinum will grow to 24 inches but mine seem to be only 10 inches tall. This may be related to the shade but I'm not about to move them.
Andre

Actually ditches do get extra water than the surrounding terrain, they're water collection points.

It's also common to see Yellow Lady slippers growing in ditches in East Central, Sask. Find them in moist forest, too.

We had yellow ladyslippers growing in the ditches when I was younger. This was during the drought years of the late 80s and they always grew along the top banks of the ditches, in poor, dry soil. You would think the soil around the ditch would be moist, but actually along the tops it was the first to drain and was very dry.

There is one colony of pink ladyslippers (Cypripedium acaule I think) that I know of in Manitoba, I understand they are quite rare. These grow in a sandy woodland.

I'm sorry I can't help with the sparrow's egg one but we don't have them in Manitoba that I am aware of.

Attached is a site called "Native Orchids of Manitoba" that lists it. Actually, the only place I've seen sparrow's egg is the one recent sighting in Kananaskis... (it's off topic somewhat, but I do remember the thrill long ago of first seeing and identifying spotted coralroot, striped coralroot and hooded lady's-tresses on weekend hikes in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Orchids of Manitoba

Thanks everyone for your information, what a wonderful forum. I've planted it in an area that will get almost a full day of sun and which I water very often. Will have to report next year on the color. Thanks again. Valleyrimgirl, my brother in law is from north of Neepawa.

I had to recue this lady slipper from the hay field. I noticed the flower was cut when the hay machine drove by and I dug up the plant and placed it in my flower bed last year. This year it bloomed beautifully.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rv_fpo/detail?.dir=83d9&.dnm=640a.jpg&.src=ph>;

I'll give it another try

Here is a link that might be useful: showy Lady Slipper - Cypripedium reginae

We have about 40 Sparrow Egg ladyslipper orchids growing in our Calgary garden. They are easy to grow.
Wild Sparrow Eggs (also known as Franklin's) grow in some of the natural areas right within the city of Calgary. Weaselhead natural area (on the Elbow river) has several populations.

This is the best time of year in our part of the country to find ladyslipper orchids (even better than when they are in flower). The usual green vegetation of the ladyslippers turns quite yellow and stands out on the forest floor. Just today we were walking in the Weaselhead Park and noticed several hundred that we would never notice any other time of year. If anyone lives in Western Alberta, go out to the foothills or mountains and you will see the yellow leaves of tens of thousands of lady slippers you wouldn't notice otherwise. This is especially the case along between Bow Valley Provincial Park and the town of Canmore. Also, If you go along the foredst edges of the Kicking Horse River Between Alberta and Golden B.C. the yellow leaves of the orchids stand out and million of orchids become visible.

In the city of Calgary Sparrow Egg orchids are usually found in the company of other orchids...especiall round-leaf orchids and Bracted Orchids. In Weaselhead natural area within Calgary there are also Lady-Tresses orchids found with these orchids.

Alpiner,

I've heard about the endless colonies of Cyps in Albert and British Columbia. It must be quite a show come spring. OK, one last question about this plant. When does it flower in your area? What other Cyp species have you seen in your area? Thanks. PF

Alpiner,

I've lived in Calgary all my life, and you've just taught me something new about my city! I love orchids, and am growing several tropical ones indoors, but I've only got yellow ladyslipper orchids outside. Where were you able to find the Sparrow Egg orchids that are in your garden? I'd love to get some next season!

Doris

plantfreak,
It's interesting how gardeners always envy gardeners in other parts of the world. We grow quite a few tropical plants and orchids in our house. They are a struggle to keep healthy and we are thrilled when one of the orchids bloom. Then we'll travel somewhere in a more southern climate and see the same plants neglected but thriving in someone's yard or along the roadside. I remember when I was a young lad and saw my first palm tree. It was magical. We went up and touched the bark and had our photo taken.

You ask when cyps flower in our region. Firstly 'our region' is quite large and the ecology varies quite a bit. In my garden the Yellow slippers bloom around the middle of June. The Sparrow Eggs maybe a week before. Both stay in bloom for a long time. I have some Yellow slippers on the north side of the house that aren't in bloom until the fourth week of June.

In the wild it is much more variable. The Sparrow Eggs are in bloom anywhere starting from the first week of June in lower elevations to the first week of July at higher elevations. The same with the yellows but a week later. The wild C. montanums are often only out in mid July because they are found in areas of deeper snow cover and the growing season starts later. The C. montanums, however, can be out earlier at lower elevations (especially across the border in the province of British Columbia).

The most prolific orchid in our region is the Calypso. They come out in the millions of clumps starting about June 10 or so. They can be found all along the coniferous forest that runs along the eastern base of the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Especially from the latitude of Calgary northwards. Among the white spruces there's often Calypsos opening their blooms beside the remnants of snow patches...very similar to how crocuses will open with snow still on the ground in the garden.

Alpiner,

Thanks for the specifics on your area. I think I'm just remeniscing about other places I've been, more than envying. I grew up in New York state, moved to Florida, and now live in southern Japan, so I've lived with and grown a great variety of plants. Sometimes I miss northern plants, especially the Cypripediums. There are Cyps here, but they are confined to upper elevations of the mountains and are very rare these days. Currently I am growing a few species and hybrids which is a real challenge in this climate!

Thanks again for the information. PF

Ah, how beautiful it must be to see all those orchids in bloom! I live in a desert environment; Natural greenery (besides palm fronds) just isn't green down here, except right after rain.

Beautiful pics, everyone!