Cypripedium Inge - Lady Slipper Orchid

The 'Inge' Cypripedium is a hybrid Lady's Slipper Orchid with flowers of quite unusual colours. On foliage of rich green with silver undersides, this very hardy garden orchid, capable of withstanding temperatures as low as -30°C, develops a flower with long twisted brownish-red petals tinged with green, crowning a swollen cream-yellow lip tinged with red on the inside. Flowering lasts a long time for this variety, three weeks from mid-May. To acclimate it to the garden, provide it with shady or semi-shady exposure and sandy and humus-bearing soil, slightly acidic, remaining somewhat moist but not waterlogged.

The 'Inge' Cypripedium belongs to the orchid family and is the result of cross-breeding between the Cypripedium parviflorum var. parviflorum and the Cypripedium fasciolatum. The first parent is native to North America, from eastern Nebraska and Oklahoma to eastern Virginia and New Hampshire. It grows in bogs, wetlands, coastlines, and moist forests. The second parent is native to the mountainous province of Sichuan in China and is very rare in nature.

The 'Inge' Cypripedium develops from a fleshy stump from which light green, oval, elliptical leaves emerge in early spring, measuring 12 cm in length, sessile and embracing, with strongly impressed parallel veins.—the stump slightly suckers, allowing it to form beautiful colonies eventually in late spring, around May-June, and for about three weeks, the plants produce beautiful hairy flower stems, sometimes reaching 80 cm or 1 m above the ground. Each stem bears a solitary flower. The slender flower has twisted sepals and petals, is purplish-brown with green spots, and has a large swollen cream-yellow lip. Each plant is usually uniflorous. The above-ground vegetation is absent in winter.

The 'Inge' Cypripedium is a perfectly hardy variety that multiplies rapidly in pots and gardens as long as the conditions are suitable. It thrives in forest edges, preferring a light soil that retains some moisture without being waterlogged. Plant it in a location with not too intense shade, in a cool rockery, an ideal habitat for it to thrive and beautify your garden with its unique presence. Accompany it with a simple fern like Polypodium vulgare and the flowering of Trilliums and Lamium orvala. It also thrives in containers and unheated greenhouses. It is a plant that dislikes heat, drought, and strong winds.

When you receive your orchids, handle them with care: these plants produce few roots and are delicate!