ORCHIDS AVAILABLE FOR MAIL ORDER

The largest flowered of all the cyps, with pale yellow blooms on tall stems.  The last to bloom for us, starting here in late May into June, lasting for one-and-a-half to three weeks, depending on weather conditions.  One of the easiest to grow, over time C. kentuckiense will form large clumps and persist for years.  A native of Kentucky and ranging south to Louisiana, it can be grown successfully as far north as Zone 3.  It is the most tolerant of high summer soil temperatures.  In the wild it is found growing in rich neutral moist-but-well-drained soil.

Zones 3-8.  18-28 in.  Light shade, moist rich well-drained soil, with approximately neutral pH.  We are offering 4- and 5-year-old blooming size plants.

Elegant rose-pink and white flowers.   Blooms here for us in late May into June starting just before C. kentuckiense.  Large plants may offer a succession of blooms lasting up to three weeks.  Not the easiest of the lady-slippers to grow, but really not that difficult if given the right placement.  Native from Newfoundland to Saskatchewan, North Dakota, and as far south as Missouri and Alabama.  Historically a disjunct community was reported in western China.  In the wild it is usually found growing in cool moist-to-wet neutral or limestone soils in open fens and bog (always above the water table), as well as moist rich wooded slopes and around seeps.  When found in wet sites the conditions are highly oxygenated, never stagnant.

Zones 3-8.  18-30 in.  Part sun, moist rich well-drained neutral soil that does not dry out.  High open shade, cool moist (but not wet or stagnant) soil, with around a neutral pH.  We are offering 4 to 5 year old plants that should bloom the first year but may require an additional year.

A tip for handling this plant:  The short coarse leaf hairs of the Showy Lady-slipper are reported to cause dermatitis similar to poison ivy for some people.  Although we have never had a problem or know anyone that has, care may be advised in handling plants during the summer growing season.

Availability:    Available for Fall 2008

Top

This is a very rare form of the Showy Lady-Slipper with pure white flowers, it is one of the most outstanding plants we are offering. These are some of the first generation plants from a very strong growing parent plant. When happy they will grow into large clumps that will bloom over a period of several weeks.

Zones 3-8. 18-30 in. Part sun, moist rich well-drained neutral soil that does not dry out. High open shade, cool & moist (but not wet or stagnant) soil, with around a neutral pH. The roots of C reginae tend to grow horizontally just below the soil surface so it is important to keep a layer of mulch around the plants. Root zones of older plants can be as large as three feet round.

We are offering two sizes:
   The extra-large plants have been blooming for several years now and are at least 8 years old.

   The large plants are well rooted and budded. Nearly all have bloomed for us in the nursery for at least one year.

Small deep yellow flowers with brown veining and long brown to black corkscrew sepals. Often bifloral (two flowers per stem). An easy form to grow; it will form large clumps over time. They usually start blooming here a little later than Cyp. pubescens with some overlapping.

Zones 3-8.  14-20 in. Light to part shade, moist rich well-drained soil, with approximately neutral pH. We are offering 4 year old blooming size plants - most have already bloomed.

Large deep-yellow flowers with long yellow-to-brown corkscrew lateral petals.  Probably the easiest native orchid to grow, it will form large clumps of over 20 blooms in time when happy.  It is the first species cyp to bloom in late April or early May here for us, blooming over a 2-3 week period.  Native from Minnesota to the Canadian Maritimes in the north, and south from Missouri to Georgia.  In the south it is usually found in cool rich woods and coves where there is shade most of the day, though in the north it is often found in more open conditions, sometimes in full sun.  In the wild it grows in both sub-acid and circumneutral soil, and with a more moderate moisture supply than the other Lady-slippers.

Zones 3-8.  14-24 in.  Light to part shade, moist rich well-drained soil, with approximately neutral pH.  We are offering 4- and 5-year-old blooming size plants. 

This hybrid form tends to have very large flowers with light pink pouches and burgundy and cream streaked petals and sepals.  Flower size and color does vary somewhat.  It is the first to bloom here at the nursery with C. 'Gisela' flowering just behind it.

Zones 3-6.  16-24 in.  Light shade, cool moist rich well-drained soil.  We are offering 4- to 5-year-old blooming size plants.    

This is a naturally-occurring hybrid between the white-flowered C. candidum and the smaller yellow-flowered C. parviflorum.  The flowers have a white or cream pouch with reddish-brown veining and dark brown sepals and petals.

Zones 3-6.  16-24 in.  Light shade, cool moist rich well-drained soil.  We are offering 4 to 5-year-old blooming size plants.

Registered in 1991, this hybrid has proven the test of time.  It has that robust hybrid vigor, and is just maybe the easiest cyp to grow.  The flower buds start out yellow, then turn burgundy red with varying streaks of creamy yellow as they mature.  The petals and sepals are a deep burgundy with a touch of yellow.

Zones 3-6.  16-24 in.  Light shade, cool moist rich well-drained soil.  We are offering 4- to 5-year-old blooming size plants.    

These have the same robust hybrid vigor as the typical Gisela but the flowers are more of a creamy yellow or very light pink.

Zones 3-6. 16-24 in. Light shade, cool moist rich well-drained soil. We are offering 4- to 5-year-old blooming size plants.

Inge has proven to be quite vigorous and easy to grow, readily multiplying into a large clump. The flower, about the size of a large yellow ladyslipper, has a creamy-yellow pouch with a deep red margin around the lip. The dark striped tendrils provide an attractive contrast. Inge is an early to mid-season bloomer.

Zones 4-7. 12-17 in. Light shade, cool moist rich well-drained soil. We are offering 4-year-old plants, many of which have already bloomed in the nursery.

This is a hybrid between the purple flowered C. macranthos and the yellow tri-flowered C. henryi. Many of the plants are bi-flowered and there are a few tri-flowered plants, in colors of soft creamy yellows to light pinks and mixed pink and yellow-all are nice.

Zones 5-6. 12-16 in. Light shade, cool moist well-drained soil with lime added and a mulch cover. We are offering 6 year old plants that have bloomed for the last 3 years.

The flowers of this particular (macranthos X kentuckiense) hybrid are the shape and size of kentuckiense but the color is a soft pink to light purple (darker in cold weather lighter in warmer weather) and the sepals and petals tend to be a rich burgundy. This is a tall, large leafed plant that is very heat tolerant and easy to grow. Blooms mid season before C. kentuckiense.

Zones 3-8. 18-24 in. Light shade, cool moist rich well-drained soil, with approximately neutral ph. We are offering large blooming size divisions of our older plants that have been blooming for the last 6 years.

This cross combines the large-flowered, easy going, and heat tolerant Kentucky lady-slipper with the rugged, very cold tolerant northern form of the small yellow lady-slipper. Blooms are mid-sized, yellow with brown tendrils. Bloom time is mid-late season between the two parent plants.

Zones 3-8. 14-18 in. Cool, moist, well-drained soil with a mulch cover. Light shade (early morning or late afternoon sun is OK). We are offering 4 year-old blooming size plants most of these bloomed last spring and we hope all will bloom this coming spring.

Dactylorhiza Orchids (EUROPEAN MARSH ORCHIDS)

A stunning group of hardy orchids widely grown in European gardens but still quite rare in the U.S. They are very attractive plants with spikes of closely-grouped helmet-like flowers on upright stems. They are one of the easiest hardy orchids to grow; they will form nice clumps, and tend to be long-lived. They prefer a moist, rich soil that is either acidic or alkaline (adding lime can be the easiest) and light shade to sun. Blooming sized plants.

Fuschii has spotted dark to light pink flowers on tall spikes. Clump-forming. This form is common throughout its range in Europe and has been grown in gardens there for hundreds of years.

Zones 5-8. 16-24 in. Light shade to sun, moist rich (neutral or acid) well-drained soil. Blooming size plants.

One of the easiest species in the garden with spotted leaves and dense spikes of pale purple to violet spotted flowers.

Zones 4-8. 15-20 in. Moist, rich well-drained soil, light shade to sun. Blooming size plants.

PURPLE MARSH ORCHID This is one of the most cold-hardy marsh orchid forms, with spikes of purple flowers in mid-spring. Clump-forming.

Zones 4-6. 16-24 in. Light shade to sun, moist rich (neutral or acid) well-drained soil. Blooming size plants.

Site Last Updated: 07/17/2008