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Herbaceous Perennial

Cypripedium reginae

showy lady's slipper orchid

A deciduous orchid to around 60cm high with oval, bright green, prominently veined and hairy leaves 10-25cm long. In late spring and summer white flowers up to 5cm long with a pouched white-streaked pink lip are borne either singly or in groups of two to three

Synonyms

Cypripedium 'Regina'

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Orchidaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Cypripedium are terrestrial orchids with slender rhizomes and soft fan-shaped leaves, spirally arranged or in opposite pairs. Flowers are born in racemes of up to 12 flowers during summer have white, pink, red or purple tepals and a yellow, white, pink or purple pouch
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Eastern N America

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist, fertile, leafy, humus-rich soil in a sheltered site with dappled or partial shade. Provide an annual winter mulch of leaf mould

Propagation

Propagate by division in early or mid-spring and replant immediately. Some of the soil from the root ball, which contains beneficial fungi, should be planted with each division

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required, allow foliage to die down naturally

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds

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