About
Sabine pastel-flowered is a hardy orchid to about 50cm producing a clump of pointed, oval leaves with deeply-marked veins. The egg-sized flowers have a large, white pouch with slight purple staining, and greenish-cream petals with a few purple dots.
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 typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, West-facing, North-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeBulbs
HabitClump forming
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants
ToxicitySkin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moist, fertile, leafy, humus-rich, slightly alkaline soil in a sheltered site with dappled or partial shade - ideally with some morning sunshine. Provide an annual winter mulch of leaf mould. If late frosts damage flowers, grow in an unheated greenhouse
PruningNo pruning required, allow foliage to die down naturally
PropagationPropagate by division 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