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Just received my copy of Slipper Orchids in Vietnam, A kaleidoscope of beauty by Chu Xuan Canh. What a great book! The illustrations are dazzling as one would expect and the geographic and environmental information is crucial to understanding the culture of the Vietnamese Paphiopedilums and...

Picked this one up this weekend at the Maryland Orchid Society Show and Sale from Fair Orchids. An unnamed cross with total parentage of: rothschildianum x Anita Baby[Hsinying Anita(Lady Isobel{rothschildianum x stonei} x anitum) x rothschildianum], so about 85% rothschildianum, 10% anitum, 5%...

Looking for a piece of Bc. (Rlc.) Miranda 'Chartreuse Queen' and Cattleya Iris.

One of the pleasures of a long time in the hobby (67 years in my case) is seeing once-obscure genera becoming exciting mainstream. Today, I praise Habenarias and their kin. Blooms today in Baltimore (totally unavailable or unknown in 1957) include Habenarias Bird of Paradise, davidii, and...

Veterans of the forum are already familiar with this recent (described in 2006) addition to the Paphiopedilum corral. For those not yet acquainted with this jewel, here are some great traits of Paphiopedilum thaianum. 1. It's TINY. The photo shows a U.S. 25¢ piece for scale. 2. It's relatively...

I reported last year (July 22, 2023) on initial success with Cypripedium subtropicum growing in a well-drained mix with low fertility and cool temperatures, never higher than 75°F. cxcanh’s important observations from nature supported this culture. I am pleased to report a year later that the...

With time under my belt, I can offer some tips for raising Cypripediums from flasklings. Most importantly, know that it is a cruel world for the little Cyp babies. Direct in-ground planting at this stage invariably gives low yields. At least a year in a protective potted environment will greatly...

When I began growing orchids, a division of Paphiopediluum rothschildianum would run $500–$1,000 and were few and far between. Today, I nice blooming size seedling can be had for $50 and the quality is excellent. His is a plant purchased from Ten Shin Gardens at the 2023 SEPOS show and sale near...

First bloom of Paphiopedilum Yang-Ji Apple x Hung Sheng General which is [philippinense x anitum] x [Saint Swithin x anitum], obtained from Ten Shin Garden Co. Ltd. at this year's SEPOS show . Short time in culture, but very vigorous give 50% anitum!

My first orchid — April 1957 — was a mail order Cypripedium pubescens, the Large Yellow Ladyslipper. The poor thing spent several tortured months in an apartment west window before passing away. The species is still my favorite. I’m currently kindly growing 3 species varieties: Cypripediums...

A very warm Spring is pushing Cyps into early bloom here in MidAtlantic Maryland. Excellent growth of Cypripedium Christian — should be in bloom next week. All my clones of Cypripedium pubescens are open now. New this year are Cypripedium acaule, nursery propagated from Carnivorous Plant Nursery...

I love the multiflorals, particularly sanderianum. I like dark flowers, particularly anitum. Marry the two and you have a match made in heaven — Paphiopedilum Yang-Ji Hawk. I got a great plant of it from Frank Cervera at the 2024 Paph Forum in Kensington, Maryland. Give me a year and if it's...

Cypripedium season has begun in the Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore, Maryland). For me the first one up every year is Cypripedium formosanum. Should be in bloom by mid-April. It has been reliable grower here for about 5 years, planted in a raised bed beneath arborvitae trees. Soil was amended with...

With the advent of seed-propagated Cypripedium subtropicum at a reasonable price from Hengduan Mountains Biotechnology, I have been able to try the species under several conditions and can report initial success under one set of conditions. I attempted last year with limited beginning success...

Cypripedium calceolus, the true Eurasian Yellow Ladyslipper and type species for all of Cypripedioideae, is a fussy grower in Maryland in my experience. Fortunately, its hybrid with Cypripedium pubescens, Cypripedium Otto (W.Frosch 1991) is much more tolerant and retains much of the charm of the...

I have been trying a large number of Cypripedium species and hybrids for the last 40 years and currently am keeping about 20 alive or better. The one standout is my Cypripedium pubescens (Willd. Hort. Berol. 1: 13 (1804)) 'Vigrous', planted as a single growth rhizome from a Michigan wildflower...

Another fine Cyp is Cypripedium Karl Heinz (calceolus x cordigerum), obtained as a single growth from Orchids at Post Hill at the 2019 Paph Forum. This should be a difficult entity, given that calceolus is notoriously fussy and cordigerum is a Himalayan high-mountain species. Instead, it has...

It's Cypripedium season in the Mid-Atlantic US, Maryland in this case. One of the most spectacular is Cypripedium Christian (shanxiense x hotei-atsumorianum), obtained as a single growth from Orchids at Post Hill at the 2019 Paph Forum. This should be a difficult entity, given that shanxiense is...

My name is Clark Thomas Riley, a Baltimore author and grower of Cypripediums since 1957.