Meet the Lady Slipper
Everybody “knows” that orchids are strictly tropical or subtropical plants. But in fact, orchids can be found in almost every part of the globe except for the deserts and the polar regions.
About 85% of orchid types may inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large proportion to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a coolish area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a greenhouse or other warmed area in which do so so.
There are tens of thousands of orchid species. You might be surprised to find out that there might be naturally occurring orchids growing in your very neighborhood, even if you dwell in one of our more northerly regions. Take the relatively common Lady Slipper.
Lady Slippers (also written Lady’s Slippers and Ladyslippers) is a name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many species that grow in cool climates over much of North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountains, or even in Canada, you could have Lady Slippers growing wild in some woods near you.
One species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.
If you’re considering growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be adapted to your specific climate, and–if you live in a place that sees low temps in the winter–you might not even have to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.
In North America, one of the most striking native orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.These are both gorgeous plants, but if you don’t yet have a lot of experience under your belt, go with the Yellow Lady Slipper.
Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to obtain. They furthermore tend to be less costly to acquire than orchid plants whose origins are farther away. They are an excellent orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more “foreign” species.
All of the advice pertaining to successful orchid gardening apply to the Lady Slippers and similar plants. You need accurate information before you begin attempting to grow these or other orchids, and the best, most thorough guide to modern orchid growing, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard’s guide is a comprehensive course, useful for novices and more experienced growers alike. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of articles on many aspects of orchid cultivation.
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