Saturday, November 19, 2011
Paphiopedilum helenae
This is the smallest species in the genus, Paphiopedilum, and also one of the most recent discoveries, having been found and described in 1996. My plant has a span of a little over 12 cm and the height of the plant with the flower is only 8 cm, a charming little thing. The flower is between 4 and 5 cm in height and spread. The species shows considerable color variation and this plant has a darker pouch than most I've seen. Since its discovery it has been used in hybridizing in an attempt to produce miniature Paphiopedilums, but none of the hybrids I've seen are as nice as the species itself.
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VERY VERY NICE!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cody. It is a jewel.
ReplyDeleteIncredible colors! The purple is so deep, very distinctive. Also it looks super cute so small in its large pot...
ReplyDeleteThanks, friend. I wish I had gotten one or two more when I got this one. Didn't realize when I got this one how small they are and how lovely, and now I can't find them.
ReplyDeleteLovely little thing and great photos! Do you still have it? I killed mine last year :-( and ordered another (with papers) for this spring. Would you have any recommendations on how to best grow a Paph. helenae? They are supposed to be fairly easy but I am missing something (I grow warm and intermediate orchids under lights and on windowsills). Thanks a bunch!
ReplyDeleteThanks for looking and commenting. I still have my plant and am waiting for it to bloom again and hoping for two flowers. Mine grows on a bathroom windowsill and receives no special treatment. It's in a bark mix in a deep plastic pot with plenty of drainage. I fertilize it weekly with K-lite and water it once a week in the winter and slightly more often in the summer.
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