MGAA – Cypripedium Culture. Lady Slipper Orchids

The distinctive flowers of Cypripedium and other Lady Slipper Orchids are marked by the inflated slipper or shoe-shaped lip.  The name Cypripedium is derived from Kypris, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, the Latin word pedis meaning “foot” the Greek word pedilon meaning “slipper”.   There are about 58 species worldwide; 13 in North America. Cypripedium have had a long-standing reputation for being fussy if not impossible to cultivate, (he first Cypripedium was described in the mid 1500’s so we are talking a long time).   It has only been in the last thirty years that the secrets of germination and techniques for cultivation have evolved to the point that these plants could be offered commercially. With close to 200 hybrids and increasing now is the best time to get growing.   Currently three clones have been trademarked and still more are to come.  Species from China, Europe and North America have been hybridized to give the adventurous gardener endless options of different colors, shapes and sizes.  Growers can even extend their flowering season by growing late flowering species like kentuckiense, reginae, and the hybrids that they produce. http://gardenslippers.com