Showy Ladyslippers

SHOWY LADYSLIPPERS

Cypripedium reginae

In the last decade, Showy Ladyslippers have risen to the top of our list of spectacular and easy-to-grow plants. Until recently, gardeners believed that “showies” were nearly impossible to propagate and that their cultivation was best left to the orchid experts. These misconceptions have been thoroughly debunked and we have now proven that Showy Ladyslippers are among the easiest and most rewarding subjects for the open garden.

Here at Cady’s Falls, we have nice big clumps which have been blooming for over twenty years and we have propagation beds with hundreds of blooming-size plants. We have recently been thrilled to discover volunteer seedlings appearing in the propagation beds and under the old clumps!

We invite you to see our Showy Ladyslippers at their peak in June.

Cady’s Falls Nursery

Don & Lela Avery

637 Duhamel Rd. Morrisville, Vt. 05661

802-888-5559 avery@vtusa.net

Cypripedium reginae forma albolabium,

the pure white form

Cypripedium reginae, an old established clump

PROPAGATING SHOWY LADYSLIPPERS

by division

The last fifteen years, has seen a major breakthrough in the laboratory propagation of Cypripedium from seed. The problems associated with germinating the dust-like seed have been solved by using the same sterile, laboratory techniques used in the tissue culture propagation of plants such as hosta and rhododendrons. In the case of ladyslippers, the plants are not cloned from their own tissues but instead the seeds are encouraged to germinate with infusions of essential sugars and hormones.

The availability of large quantities of vigorous seedlings has allowed us to build up stock in our beds and has made it possible for us to propagate significant quantities of strong blooming size plants by simple division.

Seedlings require four to five years to reach flowering size and then it takes another two or three years before they are large enough to be divided. After that, a one eye division, planted back in the ground, can be divided in another three years. This is similar to the schedule we use for propagating peonies.

The plants we sell have one or two strong shoots and generally produce two to four flowers the first year. Occasionally we have smaller and/or larger plants for sale. We divide our plants in fall or spring and we sell them in pots at the nursery.

Sorry, but we are not set up to ship plants at this time.

A few years ago, we found that it is possible to divide cyps after they have hardened up in mid summer. These three year old plants had been freshly dug and were ready to be divided.

Cypripedium reginae, four old garden clumps with dense shallow root masses exposed and ready to be lifted, separated and replanted in October.

Cypripedium reginae

in pots for sale at the nursery

Blooming plants in the propagation beds