Cypripedium kentuckiense

RHS Plant Profile
Kentucky lady's slipper orchid

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Kentucky lady's slipper orchid visionspictures.com

Other common names

southern lady's slipper orchid

Synonyms

Cypripedium 'Kentucky'

Herbaceous Perennial
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A hardy, deciduous garden orchid producing a clump of upright stems up to 70cm tall, with large, elliptic leaves 20cm long and 5-10cm wide. The plant flowers in late spring with a single-flowered terminal inflorescence. Flowers are up to 12cm large, with sepal and petals yellow-green, mottled with purple-brown

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Clay

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Clay
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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
Correct
Plant Range
SE USA

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

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