“The pouch traps insects,” my friend explained as I leaned in to admire her latest orchid. “Bugs have to climb past the staminode to deposit pollinia and fertilize the flower.”
She was fond of technical jargon. Me? I just enjoy admiring a beautiful flower, especially an orchid. “I love the colors. What’s it called?”
“Cypripedioideae” was the not so simple response. “Also known as lady’s slipper orchid.”
“I’ll go with the lady’s slipper orchid.”
What Are Lady’s Slipper Orchids?
A subfamily of orchids, Cypripedioideae’s identifying characteristic is the slipper-shaped pouch (a modified labellum) of the flowers. This pouch serves to catch and trap insects. The flowers are usually yellow or pink, but there are some spectacular varieties that display a combination of colors.
The plant grows from fleshy roots with two rows of leaves that spiral on a slender shoot. The leaves are smooth and leathery and folded in the bud. They grow in clumps or colonies.
Common Names
These orchids are usually identified by their common names, lady’s slipper orchid, lady slipper orchid, slipper orchid, camel’s foot, squirrel foot, steeple cap, Venus’ shoes, whippoorwill shoes, nerve root, or moccasin orchid. There are approximately 165 orchids of all varieties in the Cypripedioideae subfamily.
The name comes from two Greek words. Cypris refers to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Pedilon means sandal. Hence, the common names suggest some sort of lady’s footwear.
Natural Habitat
The subfamily is found in northern South America, Central America, North America, Europe, Algeria (but not in the rest of Africa), and Asia. They are not found in Australia. It’s believed that this orchid may have originated in Central America. The showy lady’s slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. The pink lady’s slipper is the official flower of Prince Edward Island, and it is also found in Nova Scotia.
Growing Conditions and Care
Lady’s slipper orchids are rather particular. They grow best in a moist environment.
Soil
The soil must have good drainage, maintain its moisture, and have a high content of organic matter. In the wild, they’re found in open forest swampy areas and along riverbanks, spreading by way of their rhizomes. They grow best in shady areas, usually underneath trees where it’s moist most of the time.
Climate and Sunlight
Lady’s slipper orchids can tolerate a minimal amount of sunlight, preferably in the morning.
They’re particular about temperature and prefer summer temps no higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, they need three months below 40 degrees.
Propagation
If you’re planning to introduce lady’s slipper to your garden, don’t transplant them from the wild. Transplanting can potentially kill the plant since there’s only a 5% success rate. It’s listed as an endangered plant in some areas, so transplanting is not a good thing.
The best way to introduce lady’s slipper to the garden is to buy full-size plants at your local garden center. The best time to plant is in the fall, but planting in the spring can be successful.
Make sure the soil in the chosen planting location is loosened. Plant in a 3-inch deep hole by spreading the roots the entire diameter. Fill in the hole around the new plant, but keep the soil loose, not compacted. The growing tip should be at or just below the surface. Don’t cover the growing tip. Once again, be patient. Even with an established plant, it can take up to a year (and sometimes several years) before flowering.
You can grow it from seed, but this requires a lot of patience as it can take up to 10 years for a lady’s slipper started from seed to actually produce a flower. It can’t be divided, but it does manage to seed itself and grow in colonies.
Pests and Growing Problems
The most troubling pest is deer. They browse the plants, trampling them as they trudge through the area.
The biggest growing problem is recreating and maintaining their natural habitat.
Varieties of Lady’s Slipper Orchids
There are at least 50 varieties of lady’s slipper orchids around the world. Some of the favorites — and most easily available in local garden centers — include the following.
Southern Lady’s Slipper
Cypripedium kentuckiense is perhaps the easiest lady’s slipper to grow. These are the largest lady’s slipper flowers, and they’re a vibrant yellow. A hardy plant, they can grow in some of the more northern regions, but only if they have extra sunlight. If your growing area is cold in the winter, a 6-inch leaf mulch will protect it from the cold.
Pink Lady’s Slipper
Cypripedium acaule is a sweet-scented orchid that grows 3-inch long flowers which are deep pink in color. Blooming time is June to July.
Showy Lady’s Slipper
Cypripedium reginae, growing from 1 to 2 feet in height, is a late spring bloomer, sometimes into early summer. The flowers are white with pink markings. It grows well in bogs, swamps, and very wet terrain.
Yellow Lady’s Slipper
Cypripedium calceolus is a bright, shiny yellow that blooms in early spring. These are the ones that grow near us, and they do well in woodlands and along the edges of bogs.
White Lady’s Slipper
Cypripedium candidum, a white-flowered orchid that is considered endangered. It grows from 6 to 12 inches in height.
Uses
North American indigenous people and immigrants made use of lady’s slipper orchid roots as a sedative and for antispasmodic treatments. It was also used to fight insomnia and nervous tension. The rhizomes are collected in the fall or early spring, dried, and ground into a powder. A teaspoon of the powder would then be added to sugar water to treat a variety of disorders including fever, headaches, tremors, irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual pain, and other ailments.
Herbalists in China used the stems and flowers (as well as the rhizomes) for a sedative, to stimulate appetite, relieve rheumatic pain, and to treat dropsy, dysentery, gastritis, gonorrhea, fractures, and mental disorders.
Conclusion
With many versatile, unique, and attractive lady’s slipper orchids, the Cypripedioideae subfamily is a great addition to any garden that has large shady areas with rich, moist soil. Their vibrant colors and intricate shapes make them stand out, adding a touch of enchantment to your landscape!
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