Slipper Orchids

Paphiopedilum helenae is a miniature slipper orchid from Vietnam and a fairly recent discovery. The plant is only 4-5 inches across and the flowers 2 inches. It is quite variable in flower color and form but always charming. There are more pictures of the plant and flowers at the link below.

This is Paphiopedilum sukhakulii from Thailand, an orchid species and one of my favorite slipper orchids. Usually this blooms with only one flower but for some reason my plant always produces two flowers.

Phragmipediums are tropical slipper orchids and this is hybrid of a species, Phragmipedium schlimii and another hybrid, Phragmipedium Sedenii. This is warmer growing than most of my orchids and resides on a bathroom windowsill where it gets subdued light and high humidity. The pot sets in a saucer of water since these plants like wet feet and are often found growing near streams.

This is one of the few larger orchid I grow, though it is not a large plant. It is also one of the few hybrid orchids I grow. It's a hybrid of Paphiopedilum Nisqually and China Song.

I'm late with posting today because we were out all day seeing the first of the native orchids to bloom, the Fairy Slippers. This slipper orchid is huge, a hybrid of Phrag. caudatum and Phrag. longifolium, and is notable for its very long dangling petals. It was photographed at our show and is fare too large for the space I have, but a beautiful orchid and one I love to photograph.

This is not my plant, though I wish it was, but was photographed at our recent show. Ordinarily this Vietnamese species is a pale pink, but this variety or form is much more colorful.

This hybrid Paphiopedilum (Lady's Slipper or Venus' Slipper) has four different species in its background. I've grown it for a number of years and it blooms faithfully in the spring.

Phragmipedium Cardinale is a hybrid of Phrag. schlimii and Phrag. Sedenii, but we've discovered that the hybrids in this group all look very similar and that has made us unsure of the correct id. It is actually son Edward's plant, though I did the photography, and it is just opened once again. Unlike some of the Phrags, it is a relatively small plant and we are growing it on a bathroom windowsill with some Paphiopedilums. And, as a final note, the link below will take you to a series of pictures of this flower and plant on a white background (I'm a little tired of black and dark blue).

This is a photo of one of my first orchids, a very old hybrid that came originally from the estate of W. Averell Harriman, an important political figure during the Truman administration. I received it from a friend, now deceased, who was caretaker for time on the Harriman estate. The hybrid was registered in 1902 and is of Paphiopedilum Godseffianum and Paphiopedilum druryi.