Description
Paphiopedilum – Slipper Orchid – Lady’s Slipper –
There are 60-77 evergreen, mainly terrestrial orchids, some epiphytic or lithophytic in this genus. They occur from sea level to over 7,000′ feet, from India to Southern China, Southeastern Asia, and Papua New Guinea. Slipper orchids are sympodial, lack pseudobulbs, and produce short stems bearing strap shaped, lance shaped, or elliptic to ovate, leathery, sometimes mottled, gray to pale, mid, or dark green leaves. Each shoot ends in a distinctive solitary flower, or a raceme of 2-8 flowers, each with an upright upper sepal, 2 spreading petals, and 2 lateral sepals united under a variably shaped pouch. Many hybrids exist.
Cool to intermediate growing orchids (see chart below). Grow in terrestrial orchid potting mix with added crushed bark and dolomitic limestone chips, in pots that constrict the roots. In summer, provide high humidity and bright filtered light, water freely, and apply fertilizer at every third watering. Do not mist. In winter, provide slightly fuller light than in summer and water sparingly, do not all the soil mix to dry out completely between waterings.
Prone to spider mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, aphids, gray mold (Botrytis), anthranose, root rot, iron deficiency, cymbidium mosaic virus, and bacterial soft rot.
