Botany Boy

People often ask me where they can buy good, healthy Cypripedium stock. This is an important issue for several reasons. First and foremost, you need healthy plants from the outset to ensure success. Cypripediums are by and large quite difficult to maintain in cultivation, so there is no point in getting unhealthy plants only to fail with them time after time. Second, there are many plants being sold online that are not nursery propagated, but rather taken from the wild. These often are in very bad shape by the time the buyer receives them, almost guaranteeing failure. Also, such practices are taking their toll on populations the world over and could lead to the extinction of the rarer species in nature within a couple decades. For more about what healthy stock should look like please see this article: Lady slipper orchids, genus Cypripedium – what to look for when buying them.

So, with these considerations in mind, here is a list of quality North American nurseries where you can buy lady slipper orchids online with confidence. Realize that Cyp propagation is an expensive and time consuming process, thus prices tend to be rather high – in the order of $30-50 per plant for the more common varieties, and much higher for rare species in particular, often starting in the $100 range and higher for the really rare stuff. Fortunately, hybrid plants are being mass produced now, and for the most part are reasonably priced and also easy to grow compared to pure species.

These nurseries are not ranked in an any particular order, nor is this list exhaustive, however all offer healthy, lab produced plants. These are links, so feel free to click them for direct access to their sites. Realize that most nurseries have two shipping seasons – fall and early spring, when the plants are dormant. Most cannot ship internationally. Also, stocks sell out fast, so you need to be ready to order as soon as possible – if you wait, you will have far less selection to choose from.

USA Nurseries

1. Gardens at Post Hill, Morris Connecticut – this business is relatively new and owned and operated by Ron Burch, a good friend. Ron, with his formidable skills in tissue culture turned his talents to Cypripediums in the early 2000s, and so began his nursery. The quality of plant you will receive from him is guaranteed to be great, and his prices are very reasonable. He also has one of the best selections in within the USA, but realize that many are very limited offers, so they sell out fast. Ron is generous with his knowledge and shares it without proprietary interest, but do realize he is a busy man. He often sells plants of his own creation, as well as a line of collaborative hybrids made with our fellow friend and Cyp grower, Paul Perakos. To my knowledge he does not ship internationally.

2. Great Lakes Orchids, Belleville, Michigan – a good friend of Ron’s is Ray Price, another “artist” at propagating temperate orchids. While his is a for profit business, he also is greatly interested in orchid conservation, and has donated time and effort (and plants!) for conservation projects. He carries a number of native Cyps as well as very unusual species including (as of this writing, February 2012) Platanthera blepariglottis, ciliaris, and psychodes, as well as the almost never offered Arethusa bulbosa. It is great to have folks like Ray around!
Continue reading “Where to buy lady slipper orchids online – North American sources”

By far the most wide ranging Cypripedium in all of North America is C. parviflorum v. pubescens, also known as the large yellow lady slipper. It has been found in 42 of the lower 48 states in the US plus Alaska (missing only in California, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Oregon), as well as all of Canada’s 10 provinces and two out of three territories (missing only in Nunavut). This plant is wide ranging not only in physical space, but in appearance as well. Plants in the far north sometimes stand little more than hand high and bear dwarfed flowers with nearly perfectly flat petals, while those found in the rich forests of the southern Appalachian mountains can grow taller than an adult man’s knee and have flowers nearly as big as the same man’s hand if splayed out. Due to this extreme range across geographic space and habit it has been the most problematic North American Cypripedium to delineate into a clean category. This is compounded by its interaction and interbreeding with v. parviflorum, and where their ranges overlap, the separate species, C. candidum.

Cypripedium parviflorum v. pubescens (hereafter referred to as v. pubescens) is a large deciduous, perennial, terrestrial orchid most commonly found in moist forests. Depending on where the plant is found growing, its height can vary widely, with flowering specimens standing little more than 12 cm tall and as much as 80 cm, nearly rivaling C. reginae in stature. Growth stems bear between 3-6 pubescent, ovate to ovate-lanceolate leaves, deeply ribbed, with each 6-20 cm long and 2-10 cm wide, and borne alternately off the stem. The vigorous root stock is like other Cypripedium species with a creeping, branched rhizome bearing numerous, creamy white to amber yellow non-forking roots that can exceed 40 cm in large specimens. In nature this plant can grow a single stem or be large clump numbering 20 or more stems, however plants with 3-5 stems is closer to the norm.

Flowers are borne at the top of the stem, usually singly, but occasionally in pairs. As its common name implies, they tend to be rather large with a natural spread up to at least 12 cm in larger flower forms, however the form planipetalum of the far north can be half that size. The dorsal sepal is large and broad, up to 8.5 cm long and half as wide, with a tendency to stand more or less erect, but sometimes overhanging the lip as in C. kentuckiense. It can be twisted at its end much like the petals, or be nearly perfectly flat depending on the plant. The synsepal is a bit smaller, and though it is held just off the lip’s surface, it curves to follow its contour. The petals are long and narrow, and again, depending on the form can vary widely in length, being as short as just 3 cm or as long as 9 cm, but rarely more than 1 cm wide. They tend to be presented at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground, but can hang lower. In most forms they are highly twisted, reminiscent of a spiral ribbon, though this can vary widely from plant to plant with some having extreme twisting and others much less. In the form planipetalum the petals tend to be presented almost at a perfect 90 degrees relative to the ground and have little or no twisting. The lip is large, up to 5 cm long, and tends to be ellipsoidal in shape, however some plants have more rounded lips. The staminode is triangular in shape with rounded corners and is held tightly over the column underneath.

Surely the most resplendent of lady’s slipper orchids in North America is the aptly named showy lady’s slipper, Cypripedium reginae. It is a rare, yet locally abundant plant of swamps, bogs, and wet woods throughout the northeastern quarter of the US as well as adjoining areas of Canada. Even as little as 50 years ago it could be seen over much of the midwest and northeastern states, with some populations numbering into the many thousands of flowering stems, but sadly the plant is now endangered or on the verge of extinction in many areas. Reasons vary, however modification of habitat and an exploding deer population probably figure in strongly for the losses over the past half century. Luckily, breakthroughs in seed propagation since the mid 1980s have made this plant fairly common in the horticultural trade, so the plant’s future seems secure, at least as cultivated stock.

Cypripedium reginae is a large herbaceous, deciduous, perennial, terrestrial orchid of wet habitats. The thick, thumb sized growth buds poke up a bit later than most other species of Cypripedium, and over a month’s time can grow into plants approaching a meter tall. It’s stem typically is a bit shorter, between 40-75 cm on average, and supports between 3-7 highly pubescent leaves. The leaves are borne alternately off the stem, are somewhat elongated, yet generally ovate, and deeply ribbed. The stem and leaves are highly hairy and can cause allergic contact dermatitis if handled. The root stock consists of a branching, thick rhizome with many cream to white colored roots that can grow over 70 cm in length. When happy this species can form clumps over 50 flowering stems, something that is almost hard to imagine.

Flowers are borne at the apex of the growth stem, as many 3 per stem (rarely 4), and each is accompanied by a floral bract. The flowers are, like the rest of the plant, large in size with a natural spread up to 10 cm from petal tip to tip. The dorsal sepal is broad and stands more or less erect, growing up to 5 cm long and ovate with a rounded tip. The synsepal has a similar shape, and is perhaps a bit smaller in size. The petals are elongate and fairly narrow, growing up to 4.5 cm long and under 2 cm wide. They are held flat (sometimes slightly recurved) and nearly parallel to the ground. The lip is round, though somewhat elongated, like an egg. It’s orifice can vary from being quite wide to small . The staminode is broad and like the dorsal sepal is ovate, fully covering the column.

The thing that makes this flower so singular are its colors – truly those of a queen. The dorsal sepal, petals, and synsepal are absolutely pure white, and I do mean pure white. The lip has a white base color and is suffused with purple-pink – sometimes as a light blush, sometimes so thick that it seems entirely deep purple, but often this flushing is in parallel lines creating an alternating purple and white striped pattern. The staminode as well is pure white and typically has yellow blushing on its lower half accompanied by purple-pink blotches and spots. Pure alba forms exist as well. Flowering commences in mid June and can extend into July in the far north of its range. Interestingly, flower color can vary widely from year to year and this appears to be dependent on ambient temperatures with cooler conditions producing richer casts.

The first wild orchid I can remember seeing as a kid growing up in southern New York State was the moccasin flower, Cypripedium acaule. This odd, yet striking plant, has become a symbol for wild and endangered plants in its native homeland. For years I held onto that idea, but like many childhood ideas, it became apparent after seeing literally countless plants from one end of the Appalachian Mountains to the other, that this was not a plant in trouble. Indeed, it is possible that the overall wild population today is actually larger than in pre-columbian America, an idea I will support later in this article.

Cypripedium acaule is an herbaceous perennial terrestrial orchid of bright woods. The two broad apple green, deeply ribbed leaves are born essentially opposite each other on a very short stem, giving them the impression of springing directly out of the ground. Plant size can vary widely with some adult specimens having leaves scarcely more 8 cm long each, and perhaps half as wide, while vigorous ones can have leaves up to 30 cm long and again, about half as wide. They grow from a short, underground, creeping rhizome that also bears many white, branch less, and fleshy roots typical of other members of the genus.

In fertile plants a flower stem rises from between the two leaves to a height of 15-45 cm. At its terminus is a floral bract, quite reduced in size and narrow, but otherwise similar in appearance to the leaves, cradling a single flower (double flowers are very unusual). The entire plant, and indeed the flower itself, is highly pubescent. Like the leaves, the flower can vary in size a great deal. I’ve seen flowers with a natural spread of little more than 6 cm and others double that size, though they usually are somewhere between those extremes.

The flower would be rather subdued if it weren’t for its lovely pink lip. The dorsal sepal is the largest flower part other than the lip, growing up to 5 cm long and 2 cm wide, and over arches the lip. The synsepal is a about the same size or just a bit smaller, and unlike other species of the genus, is held away from the back of the lip. The petals are long and narrow with just a sight twist, are held more or less at a 45 degree angle to the ground, and are between 3-6 cm long. Like the rest of the flower, they are covered in fine hairs, however these can be rather long near their point of attachment to the ovary. The dorsal sepal, synsepal, and petals all share a similar color pattern – a base color of green and suffused with varying amounts of brownish purple. Typically the petals are a shade darker than the the dorsal sepal and synsepal. The staminode is a bit brighter, but otherwise similar in color.

Luckily, the lip saves the day and in the end steals the show. Looking at it, you can see why the plant got the name moccasin flower since the bilaterally split and inflated lip truly does have a moccasin shoe shape. This lip design is unique in the genus with only C. japonicum and C. formosanum looking remotely similar, and yet neither of those species possesses the vertical cleft of C. acaule. After seeing the plant for the first time, a friend of mine dubbed it “the pink testicle plant” – a humorous, yet disturbing name that I try to dissuade him from using since it messes with my sensibilities! The lip’s base color is pure white, and yet is so suffused with pink flushing and purple-pink striations that the overall effect is a pink to raspberry pink color. Again, variation is wide – some flowers are just a very pale pink, while others have a much deeper cast. The front of the flower near the cleft is often quite white and deeply striated with purple-pink. Very occasionally, a true alba flowered form can be seen with a pure white lip and green sepals and petals.

The moccasin flower is at home over much of the temperate and boreal forest regions of eastern North America, being found from the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, southern Quebec, southern Ontario, south-central Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, to the extreme northeast corner of Alberta, and in the US from northeast Minnesota across the northern tier to Maine, and southward to the northernmost parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Along the eastern seaboard it is found throughout all of New England, New York, and the mid-Atlantic states, as well as the Appalachian Mountains southward to the northeast corner of Alabama, northern Georgia, and northwestern South Carolina. It can also be found on the coastal plain and Piedmont of Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina with extreme outlying populations in South Carolina (Richland, Lexington, and Georgetown Counties).

A rare southern slipper orchid, apparently a form of Cypripedium parviflorum v. pubescens has been known about for nearly a century, being first documented in 1939. Correl, in his famous book, “Native orchids of North America, north of Mexico” (1950), also noted that there existed a large, pale flowered form of C. pubescens, confined to the deep southern states.

Little more was known about this mysterious plant except by locals who saw them in the field, giving consistent anecdotal accounts. In the late 1970s it resurfaced, and was described as a new species of lady’s slipper orchid. The naming of this taxon had a somewhat circuitous path, but ultimately came to be known as Cypripedium kentuckiense, one of the largest flowered members of the entire genus.

Cypripedium kentuckiense is a large, deciduous perennial herb standing up to 70 cm tall, but usually is a bit shorter. The root stock consists of a thick, creeping rhizome and numerous, branch less roots up to 40 or more centimeters long. These are a light cream color when healthy. The single fleshy pubescent stem holds between 3-5 ovate, pleated leaves, that end in an abrupt tip like other related members of the genus, and are 13-17 cm long and 5-10 cm wide. These as well are pubescent. The flower is carried at the apex of the stem and is accompanied by a single floral bract that looks exactly like the leaves. Flowering commences as early as April in the southern end of its range and well into June in the north.

The singly held flower is the attraction of this species. It is very large, with a natural spread of 12 cm or more, making it one of the largest flowered species of the genus. The sepals and petals are usually deeply striated with a purple brown color, forming a near chocolate brown appearance, though in truth their base color is apple green. The petals hang downward and are mildly to moderately twisted, each 7-10 cm long and less than a 1 cm wide. The dorsal sepal is broad and extends forward, often drooping over and even in front of the lip, growing up to 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. The synsepal is broad, and though fairly large, is overwhelmed by the bulbous lip it embraces. The long triangular staminode is yellow in color and marked with purple-brown spots.

The real focal point of the flower is the enormous lip which can rival the size of a large chicken egg. It is commonly a cream color, but can also be pure white or pale yellow. The lip orifice is often rimmed with purple spotting, while the interior lower half is lined with purple spots that are somewhat evident from the outside. One unique feature of the lip is its shape, deep and elongate and forming a nearly flat plane at the orifice – very unlike any forms of its near relative C. parviflorum. An alba form is seen from time to time, having a pure white lip and light green sepals and petals. Occasionally, specimens with highly purple spotted lips can also be seen, but such plants are truly rare, even in the wild.
Continue reading “Cypripedium kentuckiense, the southern lady’s slipper orchid”