Cypripedium macranthos

• Attention! Des plantes et des orchidées sont des organismes vivants et ont besoin des bien soins.

Cypripedium is the king of hardy orchids. Most varieties can easily handletemperatures of -25°C. This variety has its origins in Canada and the Northwestern United States. There is even one European breed, the Cypripedium calceolus, which is protected and subject to continuous camera surveillance in Great Britain. Cypripedium is also known as ‘Venus shoe’. In 2018, Anthura and the Swiss Orchid Foundation planted approximately 3,000 Cypripedium calecolus in the wild in Switzerland as part of a reintroduction project. 

The Cypripedium loves a sheltered and shady spot. It does enjoy a little morning sun. Fertilising is not necessary. If you still want to fertilize, use a quarter of the amount prescribed on the package.

The orchid is resistant to very low temperatures at rest. However, if the shoot starts to grow, late night frost can cause damage. If late frost is predicted, it is smart to cover the plant, to protect them against the cold. Particularly in the first year, be careful with night frost because the plant has not yet been able to adapt to the climate in the garden. In the following year, the plant has had time to adjust and it will be less or hardly bothered by late frost.

If the orchid has a good place in the garden, you can enjoy it for years. In the spring the Cypripedium comes out again and returns under good conditions with more shoots, and therefore more flowers.