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Herbaceous Perennial

Cypripedium Boots gx

lady's slipper orchid Boots gx

A hardy, deciduous garden orchid producing a clump of upright stems with large, bright-green, fan-shaped leaves up to 20cm long. 9-12cm large flowers produced in late spring and early summer have twisted brown-burgundy petals and a cream pouch. Each stem carries one to three flowers

Synonyms
Cypripedium (_calceolus_ × _montanum_)
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Loam
Clay
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Cream Brown Green
Summer Cream Brown Green
Autumn Green
Winter
Position
  • Partial shade
Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Orchidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming, Columnar upright
Potentially harmful
Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
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

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist, free-draining soil, poor in organic matter; ideally in a sheltered site with dappled or partial shade. Some early morning sun is allowed. Provide an annual winter mulch of fresh leaf mould (oak or beech is preferred). If grown in pots, use 1-part organic matter to 2-parts of inorganic matter in the compost mix. Use gritty sand or crushed clay pebbles to improve drainage, but ensure that plants in pots do not completely dry out during actively growing season. Protect the new shoot from slug damage in spring. Leaf coloration is a good indicator of health - they should always be bright green. Yellowish-green leaves indicated poor health or too much light

Propagation

Propagate by division from large, established clumps in early spring and replant immediately. Some of the soil from the root ball, which contains beneficial fungi, should be planted with each division

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Pruning

No pruning required, allow foliage to die down naturally

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds

Get involved

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