# Must have slippers?



## Missgreen (Sep 12, 2013)

I'm putting together an orchid order:clap: maybe I'll send it off now or maybe I'll wait until next year. But there's so many to choose from I need a bit of help. 

What would be your 3 absolute must have slipper orchids and why?


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## labskaus (Sep 12, 2013)

I tend to like most what's currently flowering for me. You need to cover the whole year with the flowering seasons of the slippers you choose.


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## mormodes (Sep 12, 2013)

I'd pick Paph villosum. it makes a good sized plant easily and blooms easily too. Despite intermittent care. The Paph spicerianum because I like the dorsal sepal. To me it looks like the Star Ship Enterprise. Again a reliable bloomer and makes a large plant. Large plant = many growths, many growths = many flowers, many flowers = happy owner. After that Paph lowii or any of its hybrids, I like the petal stance and the purple tips. Again grows nicely for me. 

YMWV

OK and toss in one more Paph helenae because its just so darn cute.


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## Trithor (Sep 12, 2013)

Must have to start and must have in big collection are very different. To start, they should be quick growing, easily clumping and from different seasons. Later on I would add the slower growers and ones with blooms which although lovely only last for a short time. Then also you need to decide on specie, hybrids , or a mixture of both
Quick growing, quick clumping species include barbatum, insigne, gratrixianum, hirsuttissimum, venustum, philippinense, villosum
Slower growing must haves include rothschildianum, malipoense, druryi, sanderianum
Most parvis and brachys fall inbetween, and there are hybrids that spread over the extremes as well.


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## Linus_Cello (Sep 12, 2013)

What is your light condition like? If you only have low light, I would stay away from strap-leaf (some multi-florals) which I believe (and I could be wrong) need more light than some other paphs.

I agree with the "blooms easily" point made above. With that in mind, I would recommend some cross with "In-Charm White", such as "In-Charm Grace" (In-Charm White x niveum).

Another consideration is that you may want a plant that would be "in bloom" for as long as a time as possible. So maybe you would want to consider something in the Cochlopetalum group, such as Paph. glaucophyllum (including moquettianum) or Paph. victoria-reginae (chamberlainianum). They may produce 6+ flowers, but one at a time, and each flower lasting 3-4 weeks.


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## mrhappyrotter (Sep 12, 2013)

DON'T FORGET THE PHRAGS (sorry for shouting).

If you like large fragrant flowers, then phrag. Eumelia Arias is a good starter kovachii hybrid.

If you like the red/oranges, then you can't go wrong with Eric Young or Mem. Dick Clements.

If you like pink (and fragrant), Hanne Popow is a good choice.

All of these have proven pretty easy to grow, adaptable to different conditions, vigorous and relatively free flowering, often multiple times a year once they get mature.


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## Ghosthunt64 (Sep 12, 2013)

My knee-jerk reaction is delenatii, moquetteanum, purpuratum. My thought-out reaction is what they're ^ all saying, with the exception that you definitely need a sequential (moquetteanum, liemianum, primulinum, glaucophyllum, Pinocchio, Cloud's Prime Crystal, etc...)


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## eaborne (Sep 12, 2013)

I recommend Paph. Magic Lantern (pretty and just a favorite,) Phrag. Fritz Schomburg(large and good pink color,) and Phrag. besseae(good red color.) You should get some slipper growing experience before you try the besseae though. My other absolute must have is Paph. sanderianum(awesome long petals,) but again you need some experience first.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Sep 12, 2013)

As a begiiner starting from scratch, I'd recommend a mixture of barbata hybrids (The "Maudiae" types), a few green, red, or spotted complex hybrids (sorry...I've generally found the white crosses, gorgeous as they are, to be more difficult to bloom) and a very few phrag besseae hybrids (a few because they all resemble each other). Once you have success, then move on to species. The multi's are the slowest, and for me, the most difficult to bloom, even with high light. (Except for haynaldianum and lowii...)


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## NYEric (Sep 12, 2013)

Three is too hard; here are six.
Species - niveum - the easiest. 
Hybrids:
Paph Pinocchio - Mature plants bloom sequentially for years.
Paph Henrietta Fugiwara - Strong growing, easy, sequential and multi-floral.
Paph Becky Fouke - Strong growing, easy. attractive foliage, Parvi.
Paph (anything x Psyche) bloom lasts for months. 
Any Maudiae - inexpensive, easy, and long lasting.

If cost is no object - Paph canhii, Paph micranthum album, Phrag Yakima River, and Phrag St. Ouen flavum 'White'. BTW the last one is only $1,500 for a division!!!


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Sep 12, 2013)

And how many growers have kept canhii alive?


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## abax (Sep 12, 2013)

Being relatively new at Paph. ownership, I'd recommend any of the
In-Charm hybrids. Easy to bloom and the foliage is lovely too.


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## Trithor (Sep 13, 2013)

I am intrigued to hear what you decide on buying


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## gnathaniel (Sep 13, 2013)

Are you looking for particular things like ease of culture, certain looks, etc.? My favorite slippers are probably:

Paph. armeniacum--gorgeous foliage and cool growth habit even if you never bloom it, plus big bright yellow flowers when you do

Paph. Magic Lantern--even prettier foliage, not too expensive or hard to find, and one of the easiest Parvis to grow and bloom

Phrag. besseae--amazing flower color and fairly forgiving of sub-optimal culture, even if hard to grow really well


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## Stone (Sep 13, 2013)

Everyone should have a roth of course. anitum if you can too. But charlesworthii, helenae, lowii, tigrinum, are good value. and....and...........delen..and...mali..and.and


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## Dido (Sep 13, 2013)

NYEric said:


> Three is too hard; here are six.
> Species - niveum - the easiest.
> Hybrids:
> Paph Pinocchio - Mature plants bloom sequentially for years.
> ...



Eric you got it :evil:

The last row is so easy to find.........:rollhappy:

My favorite are Parvi and Brachy. 

I like armeniacum as it was my first slipper and even some years they dont flower for me I have around 20 and at least more hybrids with it. I am more then happy and buy every year at least one more. I am so happy that my newbie only 2 month now with me show a sign of a flower, and my oldest one, which I devided 3 years ago shows a sign of bud too, they are early this year. 

Eric was msiing in his list malipoense album and micranthum glanzeanum. Oh and dont forget vietnamense alba......


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## Missgreen (Sep 13, 2013)

Well I've been growing orchids for a couple of years now, and most of them are still alive lol. I had to move from a house with a big garden to an appartment earlier this year and that's when I decided to get serious with my orchid hobby. 

Very shortly after that, I became interrested in Phrags. I got a Phrag. besseae as a present in March and now it's already blooming again so I must be doing something right. 
I also have Phrag. Eumelia Aries, I can't wait for that to bloom but the plant is very small. I also have a small Andean Tears and Peruflora's Angel. Fritz Schomburg and Hanne Popow sounds interresting, I love pink and fragrant. 

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm very intrigued by the Paph. armenicaum. I have a closed balcony where I grow my orchids and I think I can keep it frost free over winter if it doesn't get too cold. Would it like that?


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## NYEric (Sep 13, 2013)

If you like fragrant and pink yes Phrag Hanne Popow is for you. Paph armeniacum can grow cool. 
Eric, I know 2 people here who have live canhii.
Dido, vietnamense album...!?! Man, that's ambitious!


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## Dido (Sep 13, 2013)

Nice pic of you. 
Armeniacum needs cool temps over 0C and really like it, but not much watering at that time of the year. Micranthum is the same by the way. 

Eric I saw 2 canhii myself does this count too ..... 

By the way really nice pic of you Missgreen


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## mrhappyrotter (Sep 13, 2013)

Sorry to sidetrack the thread a bit, I think it's been great so far...tons of excellent suggestions.

Is canhii legal in the U.S.? And are there sources? What's the price range on them? I absolutely love minis, and canhii is really interesting. I can't say I'd give my left nut for one, but I'd give my left nut for one (if it were legal here and not wild collected).


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## Leo Schordje (Sep 13, 2013)

Eric, I like your list, 
My list
Paph Maudiae 'Magnificum' or "The Queen", or 'Bankhaus', but only one of these, or substitute a Paph Claire de Lune 'Edgar van Bell' - all three are green and white, old classics, sometimes can be found very inexpensive, but when you want one now can still be expensive (especially 'the Queen') When grown on to 6+ growth clump, the clump will bloom 2 - 3 times a year. 

Phrag Inca Embers, or substitute Phrag After-Glow, or Sunset Glow, any one of these are great for oranges and orange-reds. All three have enough longifolium in them that they grow well, and when happy can carry 20+ flowers per inflorescence. Good performers. But they are big plants.

Paph henryanum, I just love this species. Only blooms once a year, but it is charming, a medium to small-ish plant, fits on a windowsill. Long lasting flowers. Or, for a species, you could also substitute superbiens, or purpuratum, or charlesworthii, or spicerianum. All will bloom only once a year. 

Like Eric, I think 3 is not enough. 

As he suggested, I strongly recommend getting one of the sequential blooming multiflorals, like Pinocchio, or Pine Glow, or Salvador Dali, or Sunny Delight. Or one of the sequential species, primulinum, liemianum, chamberlainianum, or moquettianum or my favorite liemianum. But from this group, start with just one. 

I really like hybrids between brachypetalum & or parvisepalum and the sequential multiflorals. My favorites are Annabellchen (liemianum x delenatii), (primulinum x concolor), (bellatulum x glaucophyllum), and others. But get only one of this group, and see how you like them. 

There are hundreds more I could recommend, but for a start, they will work.


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## papheteer (Sep 14, 2013)

3 paphs for a beginner:

delenatii

moquettianum or as Leo suggested any species or primary hybrids from this group except victoria-mariae which i know nothing about culture-wise.

And Mem. Larry Heuer, cross between malipoense and emersonii. Not the fastest growing to maturity but its an easy, steady grower. Huge flowers!


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## NYEric (Sep 14, 2013)

Dido said:


> Eric I saw 2 canhii myself does this count too .....



Only counts for 1/4 Style Point!  You must have them in your possesion, for full point!


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## Justin (Sep 14, 2013)

species:
delenatii - easy to care for and has beautiful flowers
rothschildianum - the King of Paphs! enough said!
lowii - grows well and puts on a regal display of colorful flowers

hybrids:
Michael Koopowitz - very easy to grow and flower, great easy multifloral
any Maudiae-type hybrid - inexpensive, easy to grow, and can flower twice per year


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## eggshells (Sep 14, 2013)

Stonei anyone?? Easy grower. Slow to mature but once it is. It usually starts to clump having 2-3 new growths in each base. 

Paph. helenae, henryanum, coccineum for miniatures. Paph tranlienianum is quite compact as well. Clumps easily and its great if you like the odd but beautiful slipper. Charlesworthii is fairly easily.

Paph delenatii for a fast growing parvi. 

For barbata. I guess easiest is wardii and callosum.


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## Trithor (Sep 15, 2013)

I always find it interesting how everybody has different 'easy' paphs. If we all pooled our 'easys', the sky would be the limit!


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## AdamD (Sep 15, 2013)

Kolopakingii is the only one you need. And the only one you'll have space for. You can almost watch the leaves grow.


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## The Orchid Boy (Sep 18, 2013)

Paph. sanderianum- If P. rothschildianum is the king of paphs, this one is the ace of paphs! I know some may disagree. ;-) Awesome 3 foot ribbon like petals. Just google it and see for yourself! Super slow growing but easy enough and worth it.

Phrag. pearcei- Super cute, super easy miniature phrag. Likes tons of water and is adaptable. Love the "green zebra" blooms.

Paph. delenatii v. dunkel- Beautiful dark purple and white blooms. Sometimes scented. The foliage is amazing, almost black undersides.


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## orcoholic (Sep 19, 2013)

Paph Pinocchio is easy, beautiful and blooms for months.
A Phrag besseae hybrid for color.
A Paph maudiae hybrid.

Three easy growers and easy bloomers.


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## limuhead (Sep 20, 2013)

That's easy; fuzzy pink ones, and Crocs for in the greenhouse...


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## Trithor (Sep 20, 2013)

limuhead said:


> That's easy; fuzzy pink ones, and Crocs for in the greenhouse...



Sharp:rollhappy:


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## NYEric (Sep 20, 2013)

limuhead said:


> That's easy; fuzzy pink ones, and Crocs for in the greenhouse...


That's only 2! Hawaian math?! oke:


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## limuhead (Sep 20, 2013)

NYEric said:


> That's only 2! Hawaian math?! oke:



I only need 2; I used to wear the rubber slipper/flip flops, but they caused fungus to grow in between my toes that spread to my orchids. I think that's why all of my bulbophyllums started smelling really bad...


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## NYEric (Sep 20, 2013)

You qwazy! :crazy:


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## SlipperFan (Sep 20, 2013)

:rollhappy: He's in good company!


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## Tom499 (Sep 21, 2013)

From my experience as a windowsill grower:

Paph. wardii
Paph. callosum
Paph. villosum

All have flowered for me in lowish light, and low humidity.


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