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Hardy Slipper Orchid

13 years ago

This is Cyprepedium Emeril. Grows outside here in SE UK. Up agasinst my tropical greenhouse wall so it gets a little protection from frost from the heat radiating from inside the greenhouse (through a brick wall, despite all the insulation), but is otherwise exposed to all the elements. This is its best flowering, had it around 4-5 years. I was much more careful about feeding and watering LAST year, and these 11 flowers are the result of that care (often & weakly with feed). I have not fed it at all this year since it started growth. The winter was also especially harsh this year, not sure that affected it at all? Enjoy.

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Comments (7)

arthurm
13 years ago
Adam, thanks for the pic. of an orchid that i am never likely to see grown here in the "sub-tropics". Just gorgeous!
inga007
13 years ago
Lovely, healthy and lush....
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Various species of orchids are among the most common native plants in some of our local ecosystems. Calypsos by the billions (not millions) and various cypripediums as far as the eye can see. I applaud a posting above that dismisses the hyseria about 'orchids' as endangered, etc. there are 'specific' plants protected in some regions but not 'orchids' everywhere. Some lady slippers are among the easiest of native plants to grow. Some are more difficult. This however is often dependent on the ecology of where one lives...no different than trying to grow any plant. I can transplant a yellow slipper from one area of the garden to another and it doesn't even hiccup. If I try the same with a non native (to our area) slipper such as Cypripedium regina it will take a year to recover....if ever.
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randyhi
13 years ago
Gorgeous!!!
ifraser25
13 years ago
That is a fantastic plant Adam. I'd love to know more about it. I searched it on the RHS register but nothing came up. I was once fortunate enough to see the incredibly rare (in UK) Cyprepedium calceolus in the wild in Yorkshire, but yours is more spectacular. Do you know what the parents are? What is it growing in?
adam_in_the_uk
Original Author
13 years ago
Oops, you're right, it is in fact Cyp Emil. For the last few years I thought it was Emeril! It is parviflorum x calceolus. Thanks for pointing that out. Originally it was growing in the vendor's medium - a fairly gritty mix. I repotted it I think into a mix of ericaceous potting compost, fine seedling bark & sand with some more grit. I remember thinking it probably should get something more specific, but that was all I had to hand. Originally it was in a plastic pot, I put it into clay which I use for all my tropical orchids because the weight keeps them in place better. On the negative side I used to grow Cyp. reginae but this died (never came up in Spring 2010), in the same position / conditions / etc so Cyp. Emil must have hybrid vigour or just be less fussy. Winter 2009 and 2010 were much more severe here, than many previous Winters, but Cyp. Emil seems to like it! Having said that I still think keeping watering & feeding conistent the previous year is the key to success.

Here is a link that might be useful: RHS Grex search
ifraser25
13 years ago
Well you're obviously doing something right! Calceolus (as the name suggests) is a lime lover so I don't think ericaceous mix is necessary. This can get big! I don't know what your garden soil is like but you might like to try a division in the garden. They do like good drainage.Calceolus grows at the base of a limestone cliff.

Addendum: Jay's gives Cyp. parviflorus as a variety of Cyp. calceolus. In fact the photo of this is identical to your plant. I wonder in fact if your plant is not Cyp. calceolus var. parviflorus. You might like to get back to the grower about this. It is a native of N America so should be very frost hardy. - Ian.
jank
13 years ago
Breathtaking!

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