Hardy lady’s slipper orchids for the garden Michael Weinert discusses the new Cypripedium hybrids that are easy to grow and readily available Cypripedium Ventricosum ‘Pastel’ growing with ferns, Solomon’s seal and wood anemones Michael Weinert

Hardy lady’s slipper orchids for the garden hardy orchids

ypripediums are year. They are far easier to grow, and Gisela planted in a garden near probably the most striking to obtain, than rare and often Munich produced 25 flowers after orchids that can be grown temperamental species. I registered a only five years, 152 flowers after eight C ® in temperate gardens. However, in trademark so that Frosch Cypripedium and nearly 250 flowers after nine years the past, they have suffered from the hybrids can be recognised when • The hybrid plants are invariably double disadvantage of being difficult shopping from plant catalogues. Only the result of artificial propagation so and expensive to obtain, and hard to good plants of flowering size are sold there is no pressure on wild grow. Until recently, cypripediums under this mark. The name is in Cypripedium plants. offered for sale have unfortunately honour of the famous German often been of poor quality. Many Cypripedium breeder Werner Frosch. New hybrids for 2008 orchid enthusiasts who bought them As all the plants are grown outside The two following hybrids are new have been disappointed and felt they in the rough climate of upper Bavaria, to the Frosch® plant list this year. spent a lot for no result. So new offers they are totally hardy, and are not sold meet with justified scepticism. until they have been grown on for Cypripedium Ventricosum ‘Pastel’ four to five years. These hybrids are This is a wonderful hybrid with ivory- A new direction living proof that not all cypripediums coloured flowers that may have some In 1997 I founded the nursery are delicate and expensive. The red mottling on the petals, depending Frosch Exclusive Perennials in nursery (www.cypripedium.de) offers only on the year and on the particular Germany and introduced vigorous hybrids and no species because: plant. This cross means that the highly and easy-to-grow Cypripedium hybrids • Hybrid Cypripedium are absolutely desirable ivory colour of the natural to the market. After 10 years of hardy (to at least -20°c) and need no hybrid Cypripedium x ventricosum growing terrestrial orchids as a hobby, special winter protection (C. calceolus x C. macranthos) is now I decided to propagate large numbers • They are not very demanding and available through artificial propagation. of promising Cypripedium hybrids for are much easier to grow in the garden, The broad leaves and strong stem garden enthusiasts. Now, a selection as well as being much more vigorous. make it a very stable garden plant that of high-quality crosses is offered every For example, three Cypripedium can even withstand strong rain or Sebastian Urban Cypripedium Ventricosum ‘Pastel’ has variable red spots

262 September/October 2008 OrchidThe Review

Cypripedium Sebastian Cypripedium Sebastian has the wild North American species Cypripedium montanum as one of its parents

Michael Weinert ➤

September/October 2008 263 hardy orchids Sebastian Urban

Cypripedium hybrids flourising under Japanese maples, from left,C. Ventricosum ‘Pastel’, C. Sebastian, C. Ventricosum, C. Sabine and C. Sunny wind. It grows 40–55cm tall and It grows up to 60cm tall and flowers Autumn is the best season for forms impressive clumps within a few in the second half of May. planting. I recommend spreading years. I recommend it highly. out the roots in the upper 10cm of Crosses like this and the following How and where to grow them the soil, with the rhizome 2–3cm one enable terrestrial orchid Cypripedium hybrids can be grown in below the surface, so that only the enthusiasts to buy hybrids that look all areas where temperatures rarely tip of the shoot bud is visible. Do like species and so help to save the exceed 30°c in summer, and night not over-compress the soil, and water wild populations. These hybrid plants temperatures remain below 5°c for thoroughly – the ground should never have the additional benefit of being at two to three months in winter. With dry out completely. Plants should be far less risk of dying in the first few some snow cover, they can even fertilised regularly in spring, using a years of garden cultivation. survive temperatures lower than -20°c. commercial mineral fertiliser at half The planting site should be in strength. Slugs are a menace – they Cypripedium Sebastian semi-shade, with no direct sun at can wreak havoc in a single night – This elegant hybrid catches the eye midday, such as on the north side and protective measures are essential, with the striking shape and colour of of a building. Most cypripediums are particularly in spring when the new its flowers, and the elegant growth of woodland plants and so prefer cool growth is developing. its shoots. It is reminiscent of the wild sites that do not become too hot and Cypripediums should not be North American species Cypripedium dry in summer. If ferns thrive, so will planted close to trees or large shrubs montanum, which is one of its parents. lady’s slipper orchids. They need a because of the competition for water C. Sebastian is likely to remain a rare well-aerated, crumbly soil, moist but and nutrients. They look best in hybrid as C. montanum is difficult to not wet. If the planting site is too combination with slow-growing ferns cultivate and so hybrid seed cannot wet, a drainage layer of crushed clay and other shade-loving plants such be produced on a regular basis. pebbles or lava should be added. In as epimediums and small hostas. Cypripedium Sebastian is a sandy soils, which dry out rapidly, the free-flowering grex, often with two addition of perlite or vermiculite will Mi c h a e l We i n e r t has grown blooms per stem and, like all Frosch® help water retention. A mulch of beech hardy orchids since 1987. He founded hybrids, is easy to grow in the garden. leaves or conifer needles is also helpful. and runs Frosch Exclusive Perennials

264 September/October 2008