Make Friends with the Native Orchids

It is widely assumed that orchids are tropical or at least subtropical plants. But in fact, orchids can be found in virtually every part of the globe outside of the deserts and the polar regions.

About 85% of orchid species will inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large number to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a coolish area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a greenhouse or other warmed area in which do so so.

There are tens of thousands of orchid species. You could be surprised to know that there could be orchids growing in your own neighborhood, even if your home is in one of our more northerly locations. Take the fairly common Lady Slipper.

Lady Slippers (also written Lady's Slippers and Ladyslippers) is a name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many species that grow in cool climates across North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountains, or even in Canada, you could have Lady Slippers growing wild in some woods near you.

One species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.

If you're thinking of growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be adapted to your particular climate, and--if you live in a place that has low temperatures in the winter--you might not even need to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.

In North America, one of the most striking native orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.  Both are beautiful, but unless you have had a lot of experience, you would be wise to go with the Yellow Lady Slipper.

Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to acquire. They are also cheaper to acquire, generally, than more exotic orchid plants. They are a great orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more "foreign" types.

All of the advice pertaining to successful orchid growing apply to the Lady Slippers and similar plants. You need accurate information before you begin trying to grow these or other orchids, and  the best, most thorough guide to modern orchid growing, hands down, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard's guide is a full course, useful for beginners and more experienced growers alike. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of articles on all aspects of orchid cultivation.