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Herbaceous PerennialSynonym

Cypripedium chenii

striped lady's slipper orchid

A medium-sized, hardy, terrestrial orchid with upright stems, reaching height of 30-50cm. The stem is covered in thin hairs, carrying three to four, bright-green leaves with distinct parallel veins. The plant flowers in late spring with up to 12cm large, pale yellow flowers with brown stripes and pubescent petals

Synonyms

Cypripedium chenii

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Clay

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or West–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 GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, 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: China

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist, free-draining soil, poor in organic matter; ideally in a sheltered site with dappled or partial shade. Some early morning sun is allowed. Provide an annual winter mulch of fresh leaf mould (oak or beech is preferred). If grown in pots, use 1-part organic matter to 2-parts of inorganic matter in the compost mix. Use gritty sand or crushed clay pebbles to improve drainage, but ensure that plants in pots do not completely dry out during actively growing season. Protect the new shoot from slug damage in spring

Propagation

Propagate by division from large, established clumps in early 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
Rock garden
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

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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