Cypripedium species

Cypripedium acaule + Actually easy to propagate even from mature seeds, also easy to grow a few years in soil but very difficult to keep alive later on. It must have a very acid soil. We have recently crossed it with Cyp calceolus to see if we can “save” the pink colour and shape of the lip.	Cypripedium acaule. Easy to propagate on on medium - but very difficult to grow on in soil.	Cyp acaule, Sweden, June 12th 2005.
Cypripedium calceolus +++ This is a very beautiful species, easily grown in gardens. Unfortunately this has driven the species to the limits of extinction in many countries - and when the Iron Curtain fell, Western Europe was flooded with cheap - and very likely illegal - Cyp calceolus from Russia and Poland. It is very easy to propagate from (half-mature) seeds, they are hardy and vital even as very small plants, but unfortunately they have very slow growth from seedling to flowering plant; often 7-8-9 years, which makes commercial propagation a little difficult. So, IF you see a Cyp calceolus for sale, try to find out its origin! On the other hand, hybrids with Cyp calceolus grow much faster and often very hardy and good garden plants!	Cypripedium calceolus on medium	Cypripedium calceolus is very easy to propagate, but need many many years to reach flowering size. These are 2nd year in soil. Cyp calceolus hybrids grow much faster.	Cyp calceolus.
Cyp californicum ++ In spite of its name indicating warm origin, it is completely hardy in large parts of Scandinavia. (Actually, the species comes from mountain areas in California and Oregon, covered with snow in winter.) It is very easy to propagate from (mature) seeds, finally having 6-10 small flowers on the stalk, but it takes 7-8 years to flowering. Increases quickly by division, even before reaching flowering size, and are easily divided. We have tried hybridising a few times, but no good off-spring in soil.	Cypripedium californicum first year in soil; 100% survival	Cypripedium californicum	Cypripedium californicum after one year in soil.
Cyp cordigerum ++ This species has a smaller lip than for example Cyp calceolus, but a sparkling white lip, see picture. Germinates very easily from half-mature seeds, but is a little sensitive in soil first year and is one of the very few species where we still have some losses in soil first year. Probably this is due to a non- optimal growing medium, sometimes giving an imbalance in differentiation and maturity. Surviving plants flower 5 years after sowing. We haven't used it for hybridising; the flower is rather small and the white colour of the lip would be lost.	Cypripedium cordigerum on medium. Very good germination from half-mature seeds, but a little tricky first year in soil.	Cypripedium cordigerum June 12th 2005.
Cypripedium farreri +++ is uncommon in gardens and possibly no one has propagated it from seeds so far? We have pollinated it for the first time June13th 2005-07-12. A beautiful flower with a slight scent!	Cypripedium Farreri from Himalaya	Cyp Farreri, Sweden, June 14th 2005.
Cyp fasciolatum ++ is a species rather easy to grow and easy to propagate from half-mature seeds. Very big, pale lip, but the plant is rather short. Due to the size of the flower, it has been used much for hybridising with good results.	Cypripedium fasciolatum on medium	Cypripedium fasciolatum three years old. Seem very vital.	Cyp fasciolatum. Advantage: Big flower. Disadvantage: Short stem. Conclution: Good for hybridising.
Cyp flavum ++ is a variable species from China. Tall, hardy, easy to grow in gardens, but not so sparkling colours... However, its other good qualities makes it a very good hybrid partner The species and its hybrids are very easy to propagate from seeds..	Cypripedium flavum on medium. Cyp flavum can be hybridised with a large number of other Cyps. A few of them are not vital, but most are.	A box of flavum first year in soil. 100% survival in soil, easy to propagate and to grow.	The yellow colour of Cyp flavum varies much from different plants.
	Cyp. flavum 3rd year in soil, will flower next summer.	A Cyp flavum with rather small, pale flowers
Cyp. formosanum ++ We have just very few years of experience with this species which starts growing very early in spring and easily damaged by frost. A cool green- house is better. We have used it for hybridising with Cyp flavum, and have plants in soil of that one. Maybe a better use of the strange shape of the flower? Cyp formosanum x acaule was one of the very first Cypripedium hybrids raised artificially (Whitlow 1988).
Cyp guttatum ++ is a small but very beautiful species from a northern range through out Russia to Alaska and Canada. Easily propagated from (mature) seeds, flowering 5 years after sowing. The very single disadvantage is its size, making it a little sensitive to sun and heat and drought. Increases easily by division, and next year's shoot might creep 10 cm in any direction underground!	Cypripedium guttatum (Alaska). Note the creping rhizome!	Cypripedium guttatum from Alaska	Cypripedium guttatum from China together with the huge flowering Cyp. tibeticum
	In the middle Cyp. guttatum with two Cyp flavum-hybrids.	Cyp. guttatum; Alaska on the left; China on the right.	Cyp. guttatum from China
Cypripedium henryi + Well, a small, green flower is not so very exciting outside the circles of the collectors...? We haven't tried to propagate our plants.	Cyp Henryii.
Cypripedium japonicum +++ Like Cyp formosanum flowers very early in springtime and might be damaged by frost - but is very beautiful. We have June 2005 crossed it with Cyp calceolus and seeds pods are developing, but have no experience of propagation of the species - except that it did not germinate from mature seeds at all.	Cypripedium japonicum
Cyp kentuckiense +++ is one of the biggest Cyps, flowering last of all in summer. It has a big, ebony lip, and very long petals. Highest priority for garden use but different clones behave differently. Germinates rather well from mature seeds, and very well from half- mature. Grow very big on medium and first year in soil, but small and adult plants need a long time for development and maturity which might be disturbed in cooler parts of Scandinavia. In Sweden, seed pods might not be mature until middle of November! This species has by others been widely used for crossings, we just have it with tibeticum so far, and still not flowering. Future will show if kentuckiense hybrids are just as hardy as big!	Germinating seeds of Cyp. kentuckiense	Cyp. kentuckiense grow very very big on medium.
	Cyp. kentuckiense first year in soil.	Cyp. kentuckiense

Cyp macranthos +++ is a species with a very wide geographic distribution and thus a very great variability, not only in plant "look", but also in growing qualities, depending on provenance. Colours might vary from pink to dark red and pure white. We are growing and propagating a number of different clones and future will show which are mostly suitable for large scale gardening. Maybe not so surprising, a hybrid between a Cyp macranthos and a very large and tall Cyp tibeticum seems to be much superior in growing qualities - but hasn't flowered yet. Cyp macranthos - and similar red-flowering relatives - must be sown with half-mature seeds, but usually grow well on medium and in soil. Germination from mature seeds is very low.	Cypripedium macranthos, first year just one single stem.	...second year 4 stems and three flowers!	Cypripedium macranthos alba.
Cyp macranthos var. hotei-atsumorianum +++ has a wonderful dark red lip and grows very well in our gardens. The plants on pictures have been raised from seeds - flowering 5 years after sowing - but all our adult plant have no fertile pollen!! These observations are known also from other Cyp species! So, until we get other plants, we use it for hybridising with pollen from other species with promising result for some years	Cypripedium macranthos var. hotei- atsumorianum	Cyp macranthos var. hotei-atsumorianum.
Cyp parviflorum var. parviflorum +++ This species is similar to the European Cyp. calceolus, but with a smaller flower. Easy to propagate, easy to grow, increases quickly by division. - But parviflorum hybrids are bigger, more beautiful and i most cases very vital...	Cyp parviflorum	Cyp. parviflorum with some calceolus in the background
Cyp. parviflorum var. pubescens ++ also is rather similar to Cyp calceolus, but rather variable; different colour variations and sizes. A good hybrid partner too, but parviflorum is a little easier to propagate.	Cyp. pubescens	Cyp pubescens	Cypripedium pubescens
Cyp reginae ++ is rather well-known and wide-spread in gardening. It is very easy to propagate in large scale - but very likely it will be replaced to a large extent with its hybrid with Cyp flavum; Cyp 'Ulla Silkens', which is extremely easy to propagate and to grow, and which has many beautiful colour variations.		Cyp. reginae	Cyp reginae - easy to grow in gardens. But Cyp "Ulla Silkens" is better...
Cyp. smithii +++ is rather similar to Cyp tibeticum. We have just a few years´ experience of this species and have pollinated it for the first time 2005.	Cyp Smithii, similar to Cyp tibeticum.
Cyp tibeticum ++ is a variable species, with a big, very dark red flower. Some variants are just 10-15 cm tall, some up to 40 cm. Well, the shape of the lip and the total appearance is more beautiful in for example Cyp. macranthos, but for its colour it is very usable for hybridising. Germinates well from half-mature seeds, but so far, not all plants survive on medium.	Cyp. tibeticum on medium. Also a very good hybrid partner.	On the left Cyp tibeticum first year in soil, on the right crossed with Cyp kentuckiense.	Cyp. tibeticum
	A tibeticum with giant flowers, plant 40 cm tall.	Cyp. tibeticum, a red leafed form
Cypripedium ventricosum +++ possibly is originally a natural, fertile hybrid between Cyp calceolus and macranthos. Beautiful red flower, but smaller than macranthos. We have not tried to propagate it. Occasionally white plants occur on the market. A hybrid with calceolus, raised from seeds, does not grow quite as well as Cyp calc x macronthos.	Cyp. ventricosum	The flower at the top is hotei.and the others are ventricosum.
Cyp wardii + is a small relative to Cyp flavum med hairy leaves. has anyone got seeds for us?	Cyp wardii, a small relative to Cyp flavum
Cyp yatabeanum ++ Increases quickly in number and has an odd shape and colouring of the flower. It is a close relative to Cyp guttatum and hybrids are known from nature. The species is very easy to grow, but we haven't given propagation any priority.	Cyp yatabeanum, a relative to Cyp guttatum.

Cypripedium species There are, as mentioned, approximately 45 different Cypripedium species in the world. Hardly old-fashioned explorers will change this number, but more likely university botanicals, who's happier moments are when they can change in the systematic of plants; bulk several old species into just one, and divide other single species into 3 different ones. Never less, there are several wonderful Cypripedium species, and a number of them might do well in your garden and increase to large populations if the adaptation possibilities of those species is big enough for the large variability of modern gardens. Results are of course dependent on the origin of the plants - and in which part of which country your garden is situated. Several species are good garden plants - but it will end up with a number of at least dominating Cypripedium hybrids, much more suited for gardening. This is of course nothing exceptional in gardening practice - rather standard nowadays. We will try to describe our own experience in propagating and growing a number of Cypripedium species. Note, we do not grade solely the "look" of the flower, but quite as much its vigour, viability and growth speed. We have 20 years of experience in some cases - some other species are very recently tested in garden or just recently sown. So, some species are not graded at all, but we have tried to include the most common and/or "best" ones. + not so good for gardening ++ a good garden plant +++ a very good garden plant	Cypripedium macranthos alba, what a pretty one!	Cyp. pubescens
	Cyp. guttatum	Cypripedium macranthos var. hotei-atsmorianum