Paphiopedilum Orchid

Paphiopedilums are one of the best orchid groups to grow under artificial lighting. They make super house plants with their flowers being long lasting. There are many spectacular hybrids available, and are about 60 species from Asia- India and New Guinea. Paphiopedilums prefer filtered light. They require humidity in the range of 40 to 60 percent. Paphiopedilums are curious plants which are often thought to be carnivorous because of the intriguing pouch that forms part of the flower. They are not fragrant, but have very interesting and colorful "lady slipper" shaped flowers. Their cultural requirements are not that hard to obtain making these orchids quite easy to grow in your home.

Paphiopedilums are shade-loving plants which will not tolerate excessively high light levels. They can only be raised from seed or division. They require a potting mix that will keep their roots moist. They can be grown in a variety of media, ranging from bark mixtures, coconut chunks and fibres to peat concoctions, chopped sphagnum moss, osmunda fibre and tree-fern fibre. They will grow successfully in almost any compost which is free-draining and retain enough moisture. Sandy loams and garden soil are not recommended for growing paphiopedilums because they are semi-terrestrials. They do not possess pseudo-bulbs like many other orchids. They use their fleshy leaves for storing nutrients. Therefore, the media around the roots should be kept moist and should not be allowed to get completely dry. High concentrations of fertilizers are likely to be detrimental to paphiopedilums in cultivation, as they will tolerate only very weak solutions of feed at frequent intervals.

Paphiopedilums come in a myriad of colors. The blooms can be white, maroon, yellow, red, pink, green and the new "vinicolor" which is almost black. Many have hairs, warts, stripes and other markings which make the blooms very interesting in appearance. The top sepal (petal) stands high and full above the pouch, and the two side petals sometimes hang down past the bottom of the pouch. The blooms have a waxy texture and will last six weeks or longer on the plant. Most plants will have one or two blooms measuring 2" to 5" across. There are some species and hybrids that do form a spike and have more blooms. The leaves grow like a fan and the blooms raise up from the new growth.