Kentucky Lady's Slipper Orchid, Southern Lady's Slipper, Ivory Lady's Slipper, Purloined Slipper, Cypripedium 'Kentucky'
Cypripedium kentuckiense (Kentucky Lady’s Slipper Orchid) is a hardy terrestrial orchid boasting one of the largest flowers of any lady’s slippers. Blooming in mid-spring to early summer, each blossom features a large, egg-sized, cream to pale yellow pouch surrounded by two twisting, mottled greenish-purple petals and three wavy-edged sepals. The flowers are borne atop a hairy stem clad with 2-9 pleated, broad-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, leaves, 7 in. long (17 cm). Native to the southeastern United States, Kentucky Lady’s Slipper Orchid occurs naturally in hardwood forests on damp, low-lying areas near springs and in flood plains in acidic, sandy, and well-drained soils. Rarely found in the wild, Kentucky Lady’s Slipper Orchid is considered globally vulnerable, due in large part to its limited range and shrinking habitat. Never dig plants in the wild, not only because of their rarity but also because they transplant very poorly.
Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
---|---|
Plant Type | Orchids, Perennials |
Plant Family | Orchidaceae |
Genus | Cypripedium |
Exposure | Partial Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early) |
Height | 1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm) |
Spread | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
Spacing | 18" (50cm) |
Maintenance | Average |
Water Needs | Average, High |
Soil Type | Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy |
Native Plants | United States, Southeast, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Southwest, Texas, Oklahoma |
Tolerance | Wet Soil |
Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
---|---|
Plant Type | Orchids, Perennials |
Plant Family | Orchidaceae |
Genus | Cypripedium |
Exposure | Partial Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Mid, Late), Summer (Early) |
Height | 1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm) |
Spread | 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm) |
Spacing | 18" (50cm) |
Maintenance | Average |
Water Needs | Average, High |
Soil Type | Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy |
Native Plants | United States, Southeast, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Southwest, Texas, Oklahoma |
Tolerance | Wet Soil |
Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
How many Cypripedium kentuckiense (Kentucky Lady’s Slipper Orchid) do I need for my garden?
Plant | Quantity | |
---|---|---|
Cypripedium kentuckiense (Kentucky Lady’s Slipper Orchid) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
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