Alphabetical Plant Listing

Cypripedium formosanum (Formosan Lady's Slipper Orchid)

Formosan Lady's Slipper Orchid, Cypripedium japonicum var. formosanum


Cypripedium formosanum (Formosan Lady's Slipper Orchid) is a small, hardy orchid boasting two broad fan-like, pleated leaves that grow opposed to each other at the center of a smooth single stem. The slender, glabrous stem produces a white flower, 2.5 in. across (6-7 cm), with broad petals and an inflated, puffy pouch. The slipper-shaped flowers are spotted and mottled with light to dark pink. Blooming from mid-spring to early summer (depending on geographic locations), the plant spreads by underground runners to form nice colonies where happy. Well-established clumps can have more than 100 individual stems, each with a bloom.

  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
  • Grows up to 4-6 in. tall (10-15 cm).
  • Thrives in part shade in moist, fertile, humus-rich, alkaline, well-drained soils. Requires 2 to 3 hours of direct early morning or late afternoon sun and be in the dappled shade the remainder of the day. Provide an annual winter mulch of leaf mold.
  • Excellent choice for borders, city gardens, cottage gardens, and containers.
  • Allow the foliage to die down naturally.
  • Propagate by division in early or mid-spring and replant immediately. Some soil from the root ball, which contains beneficial fungi, should be planted with each division.
  • No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for slugs and gray molds.
  • Native to Taiwan.

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Requirements

Hardiness 6 – 9
Plant Type Orchids, Perennials
Plant Family Cypripedium - Lady Slippers
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early)
Height 4" – 6" (10cm – 15cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Patio and Containers, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage

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By Dreamdream, Shutterstock

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.


Requirements

Hardiness 6 – 9
Plant Type Orchids, Perennials
Plant Family Cypripedium - Lady Slippers
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early)
Height 4" – 6" (10cm – 15cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Patio and Containers, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage

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