Lady Slippers and Other Cold-Climate Orchids: An Introduction

It is common "knowledge" that the orchid is a tropical/subtropical plant. But in fact, orchids can be found in almost every part of the globe except for the deserts and the polar regions.

About 85% of orchid species will inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large number to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a cool area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a hothouse or other such area in which do so so.

The number of known orchid species is in the tens of thousands. You might be surprised to learn that there might be wild orchids growing in your own neighborhood, even if you dwell in one of our more northerly climes. Take the relatively common Lady Slipper.

Lady Slippers (also written Lady's Slippers and Ladyslippers) is the name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many members that grow in cool climates across North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountains, or even in Canada, you could have Lady Slippers growing wild in some woods near you.

One species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.

If you're thinking of growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be used to your particular climate, and--if you live in a place that has low temperatures in the winter--you might not even have to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.

In North America, one of the most striking native orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.The Yellow Lady Slipper should be your choice, unless you are an experienced orchid cultivator already.

Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to acquire. They furthermore tend to be less costly to acquire than orchid plants whose origins are farther away. They are a great orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more "foreign" species.

All of the rules governing successful orchid growing apply to the Lady Slippers and related plants. You need accurate information before you begin trying to grow these or other orchids, and  the best, most thorough guide to modern orchid cultivation, hands down, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Howard's wonderful guide will provide a thorough immersion in the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.