About
The plant flowers in late spring with a single-flowered terminal inflorescence. A hardy, deciduous garden orchid producing a clump of upright stems up to 70cm tall, with large, elliptic leaves 20cm long and 5-10cm wide. Flowers are up to 12cm large, with sepal and petals yellow-green, mottled with purple-brown.
About the genus
Cypripedium are terrestrial orchids with slender rhizomes and soft fan-shaped leaves, spirally arranged or in opposite pairs. Flowers are born in racemes of up to 12 flowers during summer have white, pink, red or purple tepals and a yellow, white, pink or purple pouch
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeLoam, Clay
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, North-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitClump forming, Columnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden
Native toSE USA
ToxicitySkin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moist, free-draining soil, poor in organic matter; ideally in a sheltered site with dappled or partial shade. Some early morning sun is allowed. Provide an annual winter mulch of fresh leaf mould (oak or beech is preferred). If grown in pots, use 1-part organic matter to 2-parts of inorganic matter in the compost mix. Use gritty sand or crushed clay pebbles to improve drainage, but ensure that plants in pots do not completely dry out during actively growing season. Protect the new shoot from slug damage in spring
PruningNo pruning required, allow foliage to die down naturally
PropagationPropagate by division from large, established clumps in early spring and replant immediately. Some of the soil from the root ball, which contains beneficial fungi, should be planted with each division
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to slugs
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to grey moulds