Monday, September 03, 2012

Lady Slipper Orchid



Lady Slipper Orchid
Phragmipedium Eric Young
(frag-muh-PEE-dee-um)


This rare beauty was quite eye catching with a vibrant mix of colors. All 20 species of the genus are considered endangered in the wild. Most come from the area of Central and tropical South America and southern Mexico. The different species has a wide range of growing conditions in which they are found. Lucky for us collectors and breeders have been working hard to keep them alive. This particular orchid was introduced in 1991 and is a hybrid of Phragmipedium besseae x Phragmipedium longifolium.

Phragmipedium Orchids are fairly easy to grow and reward their cultivator with an extended springtime bloom period. The plants can bloom for several months if they are happy.

Happy Labor Day to the Americans out there. The traditional end to our summer doesn’t really seem that way with the high temperatures and lack of rain but the calendar says its so. What was that giant sucking sound I heard yesterday? It was the sound of the garden drinking up the meager rain shower we got in the afternoon. It wasn’t even enough to dampen the ground for more than a couple of minutes.

1 comment:

Felicia said...

The flower in the photo you took surely looks like a slipper. I did not know that the Lady Slipper Orchid is an endangered species. Nice to know that bit of info. Thanks for sharing!