I mentioned in a previous post that the large yellow Lady'-slipper (Cypripedium pubescens) grows wild around the garden. Nurseries sell them as well as other species and many beautiful hybrids, but they are not easy to grow. On two occasions in the early Roche Fleurie years, when clumps of Lady'-slipper were about to be bulldozed, I tried transplanting them but with no success, even if the large yellow Lady'-slipper is listed as one of the easy Cypripediums to grow in gardens or in pots. So I thought I would read about them to see what their requirements are and compare these to my experience of seeing them grow profusely in the wild.
I was under the impression that they needed mycorrhizal fungi to survive. These are microorganisms in the soil which allow plants to "trade" nutrients. It would appear that mycorrhizal fungi are essential for seed germination, but not for growth of the plant. Still, I expect that if you had to transplant one, it would be preferable to move with it a good deal of the soil where it grew initially.
Several sites mention that Cypripidium prefer a slightly acidic soil. Roche Fleurie is on dolomite limestone, so the soil is basic. However, with acid rain, perhaps the first shallow layer of undisturbed soil is acidic. Much more than pH, it would appear that good drainage is the paramount requirement. The ones you see around grow in flat areas, but only in spots that are slightly higher than their surroundings.
The most surprising thing I learned about them is that Cypripedium roots do not grow in the ground. They lay flat on top of the ground and are covered by compost (in nature dead leaves and debris). This makes orchid sense. The bud for the following year is produced in the late summer or in the fall at the level of the soil or above it. This bud cannot be covered.
You have to make sure they have enough water until they get established. In nature around here, they grow in areas that are quite humid in spring but that get very dry in late summer. By mid to late June they have finished blooming, and they slowly go more or less dormant. This is probably why they are supposed to grow well in a clay pot. You would have to make sure to water early in the season but not later on.
They are to be found under trees or shrubs where they get dappled shade. It is apparently important that they be in a cool spot. I have never seen them volunteer in fertile spots. On the contrary, they grow in rocky, unprepossessing areas. Two or three years ago, one germinated next to a stone on the edge of a gravel path and seems to be doing well in the gravel. It bloomed for the first time last year. It gets a couple of hours of sunshine before sunset. The Showy Lady'-slipper (Cypripedium reginae) also grow in the area, but it is not common like the yellow one and it it to be found in bogs or ditches.
Some of the flowers end up with holes in them. I believe that insects get caught in the pouch and can only escape by tearing a hole. As you often see bumble bees struggling inside them, they must be making these holes.
Apparently, Cypripedium sometimes take a holiday. One year they might not come up at all but could grow and bloom beautifully the following year. This is a very useful piece of information because if your plant disappears, it might only be temporary and you should not disturbed it.
I was under the impression that they needed mycorrhizal fungi to survive. These are microorganisms in the soil which allow plants to "trade" nutrients. It would appear that mycorrhizal fungi are essential for seed germination, but not for growth of the plant. Still, I expect that if you had to transplant one, it would be preferable to move with it a good deal of the soil where it grew initially.
Several sites mention that Cypripidium prefer a slightly acidic soil. Roche Fleurie is on dolomite limestone, so the soil is basic. However, with acid rain, perhaps the first shallow layer of undisturbed soil is acidic. Much more than pH, it would appear that good drainage is the paramount requirement. The ones you see around grow in flat areas, but only in spots that are slightly higher than their surroundings.
The most surprising thing I learned about them is that Cypripedium roots do not grow in the ground. They lay flat on top of the ground and are covered by compost (in nature dead leaves and debris). This makes orchid sense. The bud for the following year is produced in the late summer or in the fall at the level of the soil or above it. This bud cannot be covered.
You have to make sure they have enough water until they get established. In nature around here, they grow in areas that are quite humid in spring but that get very dry in late summer. By mid to late June they have finished blooming, and they slowly go more or less dormant. This is probably why they are supposed to grow well in a clay pot. You would have to make sure to water early in the season but not later on.
They are to be found under trees or shrubs where they get dappled shade. It is apparently important that they be in a cool spot. I have never seen them volunteer in fertile spots. On the contrary, they grow in rocky, unprepossessing areas. Two or three years ago, one germinated next to a stone on the edge of a gravel path and seems to be doing well in the gravel. It bloomed for the first time last year. It gets a couple of hours of sunshine before sunset. The Showy Lady'-slipper (Cypripedium reginae) also grow in the area, but it is not common like the yellow one and it it to be found in bogs or ditches.
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| Showy Lady'-slipper |
Apparently, Cypripedium sometimes take a holiday. One year they might not come up at all but could grow and bloom beautifully the following year. This is a very useful piece of information because if your plant disappears, it might only be temporary and you should not disturbed it.
You are making me think of all the flowers I see wild in the spring and summer. Trillium, violets, Johnny-jump-ups, May apples. And, lady-slippers. No idea they were orchids.
ReplyDeleteLady slippers are so beautiful. I had no idea that their roots lay along the ground under the leaf litter.
ReplyDeleteWe have one clump that my mother rescued 40 years ago. They've been transplanted to totally new homes twice since then, and seem to still be flourishing!
ReplyDeleteThese showy lady slippers are a favorite of mine. I dug a lot a few years ago and transplanted them in another similar spot in the woods and they did well.
ReplyDeleteWe've occasionally come across them on our hikes, but never more than one bloom to a clump. What a show yours make!
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky to have wild orchids.
ReplyDeleteRunner beans often have holes bitten into the base of the flowers by bees but it is the short tongued bees that do this to reach the pollen which they can't reach it by stretching their tongues down into the flower as a long tongued bee does.
One of your very best posts Alain!
ReplyDeleteWonderful orchids!
It is not uncommon in high rainfall areas over limestone or even amongst limestone for acid peaty soil to form. It happens as you go over west towards the Lake District in the UK
Thank you for the information Roger. Without checking the pH, from what grew there, I thought some spots were rather acidic.
DeleteThese are so beautiful! They are very expensive to buy here and I don't have the conditions for them. But I wish I did! Lucky you to have them in the garden. :o)
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful orchids. I would love to have them but I never buy orchids because I know they are very fussy --- they need the perfect condition to survive. From your article, it seems this orchid is also very fussy and can survive only under special circumstances/situations. I wonder how many such orchids, flowers and plants have got destroyed because their habitat, through which they got all the special features to survive, got destroyed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving a comment on my post, its good to hear from someone new! How lucky you are to have such beautiful orchids in your garden, you must have exactly the right conditions to keep them happy as they can be so tempremental.
ReplyDeleteThey surely are gorgeous, Alain, and it's great to be able to provide the conditions they like. My books say they like neutral to acid soil, C. calceolus prefers alkaline soil (maybe for your plot?). Can't have them here as I can't provide moist soil all year but we have lots of other orchids in spring/early summer...I'm already looking forward to seeing them. Have a good week :)
ReplyDeleteLovely to see these orchids. Last year I bought Cypripedium reginae and Cypripedium kentuckiense. They gave me so much pleasure. I only hope they will reappear this year. It is useful to know that they are not necessarily dead if they take a year out.
ReplyDeleteIt must be amazing to see these gorgeous orchids growing wild.
I am astounded that these grow wild in your area. Lucky you. They are indeed difficult to grow, not to mention astoundingly expensive! Even if I thought I had the talent to succeed, the price would have deterred me.
ReplyDeleteThey do grow wild and we are lucky to have them but I kind of feel we pay for this privilege given the restrictions our climate imposes on us! For half of the year the area is a flood plain and for the other half it is semi-desertic!
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