ISU Extension News

Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915

9/25/03

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Linda Naeve, Reiman Gardens, (515) 294-8946, lnaeve@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033, jmcguire@iastate.edu

Lady's Slipper Orchids Are Memorable Beauties

Linda Naeve
Extension Coordinator
Reiman Gardens

Orchids have a magical power that draw people's interest and are hard to forget. The ghost orchid, Polyrrhiza lindenii, is one example of the impression and impact orchids have on people's lives. It is a rare and spectacular plant that exists only in Florida's Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and is the subject in Susan Orlean's book, Orchid Thief. This week's Reiman's Pick, lady's slipper orchid, is an orchid genus that made a lasting impression on me when I was young.

When I was 9 or 10 years old, my Girl Scout troop members were asked to march in the annual Memorial Day parade and carry a few flowers to drop into the water as we walked across the bridge. As we were walking along, I noticed my friend had the most beautiful and unique yellow flower that she had picked in the park before the parade. Our troop leader saw her flower and used it as an educational moment. She told us that it was a wild orchid called a yellow lady's slipper, and what my friend had done was inappropriate and illegal. I never forgot the beauty of that yellow lady's slipper.

The yellow lady slipper, Cypripedium calceolus, is a native orchid to northeast Iowa that, like Florida's ghost orchid, is difficult to cultivate. The yellow lady's slipper is one of many terrestrial orchids that depend on soil fungi for part of their food, so its survival is dependent on specific soil and environmental conditions.

Fortunately, there are lady's slipper orchid species that can be cultivated and actually make beautiful, easy-to-grow houseplants. Paphiopedilum (pronounced paff-ee-oh-PEE-dih-lum), known as "lady's slipper" orchids, are one of the easiest types to grow in the home.

A brief lesson in orchid flower anatomy is necessary in order to explain why plants in this genus, and others in the Cypripedioideae subfamily, are collectively called "lady's slipper." Regardless of their shape, all orchids have three sepals that look like petals but are actually the glorified remains of the flower bud and are usually the same size. Orchids always have three petals, two of which look "normal" and are somewhat alike. The third petal, called the lip or labellum, is the middle or lower petal and is quite different from the other two petals. This petal is often used by orchids as the "landing platform" for its pollinator. The lip on lady's slipper orchids is a pouch or pocket that looks like the toe of a slipper or shoe. The reproductive organs - stamens and pistils - are combined into a single structure called the "column." The column on a lady's slipper orchid is just above the lip. Thus, the pouch-like petal is more of a trap for pollinators than a landing platform.

Lady's slipper orchids bloom in a variety of colors ranging from white, maroon, yellow, red, pink, green to nearly black. The color of the blooms may be solid, blended, striped or spotted. The flowers have a waxy texture, and then last six weeks or longer.

Lady's slipper orchids have a sympodial growth pattern, which means it has a rhizome that grows horizontally along the surface of the pot from which new roots and shoots are formed. Unlike most orchids, lady's slippers are terrestrial and live in the shade of the forest floor. When grown indoors, the best growing medium is a fine fir bark amended with a small amount of perlite to assist with the drainage. The medium should be kept moist but not soggy. Water only the medium to avoid getting water in the growing points and in the leaf axils. Water that sits in these areas could cause the growing points and young leaves to rot.

The leaves of Paphiopedilum orchids may be glossy green or mottled with light green or silver, making the plants attractive even when they are not in bloom. Those with green leaves generally need cool night temperatures, especially in the fall when the flower buds are developing. Lady's slipper plants with mottled leaves will flower at warmer night temperatures. Both types thrive when the day temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They grow well in bright locations in the home or under fluorescent lights.

There are several hybrid lady's slipper orchids on display during the Orchid Show in the conservatory at Reiman Gardens. You will easily be able to identify them but will not easily forget their beauty.

To learn more about the Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University visit us on the Web at: http://www.reimangardens.iastate.edu/.

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Editors:
Reiman Gardens Orchid Show
350 orchids in a beautiful tropical display through October 19.
Orchid plants go on sale to the public October 25.
Show Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admission to Reiman Gardens: $5 adults; $4.50 Seniors 65 and over; $3 for children age 4- 17; free for children age 3 and under.

Editors: A color photo, suitable for publication, is available at right. Click on the thumbnail photo to go to the fullsized photo. The picture's fullsize photo is 332K.

Caption: Lady's Slipper Orchid (Paphiopedilum)


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