Cyp macranthos

[monocotman]

hi there,

a quiet time for the cyp thread so here's something to keep us going.
A couple of photos of a very variable species, macranthos.
First up is a seeding of the typical form of the species flowering for the first time.
Form and colour is good and it should improve when fully established.
Second photo is of the japanese form 'hotei atsumorianum'.
This is a division of a stud plant from a well know UK grower. In this form the lip is flattened and plumper. This clone also has a very dark flower.
The leaves of this plant are also different to other forms of macranthos.
They are wider and have more rounded tips.
Sorry that the photo isn't better -it is two years old - I didn't wait for the flower to mature fully as the plant was starting to show signs of stress so off it came.The plant was a new purchase so needed time to establish.
No flowers last year but all the signs are that it will have 2+ flowers this spring,

Regards,

David

 

[fbrem]

unbelievablely awesome flowers

 

[Erythrone]

That's a species that I would like to grow. Many Cyps are easy here, but I am not sure that this one would be easy to manage in the garden. I tried one asian Cyp, C. formosanum, without succes.

Do you have some growing tips to share?

 

[W. Beetus]

Great plant! One of my favorite cyps.

 

[toddybear]

Beauties!

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Erythrone- you are probably too far north for formosanum. (Which I have grown successfully in the ground in NYC.) But macranthos could do well for you. I'd like to try it here, but I'm afraid that NYC summers would be too hot for them. Not to mention that the only macranthos I could get would be the Chinese collected ones on Ebay, shipped without documention.

 

[Leo Schordje]

Gardens at Post Hill have small Cyp. macranthos seedlings available. And Cyp. tibeticum, franchettii, kentukiense & more, all from seed, no collected plants. They are SlipperTalk members.

http://www.gardensatposthill.com/website/StoreCypripedium.html

 

[Erythrone]

Thank you Leo and Eric!

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

The Post Hill plants are always great. Unfortunately, I have never had luck with cyp seedlings though. Maybe I'll try again, though....

 

[Kevin]

Erythrone- you are probably too far north for formosanum. (Which I have grown successfully in the ground in NYC.) But macranthos could do well for you. I'd like to try it here, but I'm afraid that NYC summers would be too hot for them. Not to mention that the only macranthos I could get would be the Chinese collected ones on Ebay, shipped without documention.

Just because he is north, doesn't mean he's cold. Erythrone - what zone are you in?

There are many Cyp. sellers in the U.S. - why do you have to go to Ebay? Do none of them have this species?

 

[monocotman]

growing tips

Hi guys,

I grow all my cyps in pots, so I can control the water levels.
This seems to be particularly important with the asian species like macranthos. They all seem to like a fairly dry winter rest.
The hybrids are much more forgiving. If you're looking for 'easier to grow' cyps for warmer summers then I'd stick with the hybrids and go for ones with the more heat tolerant species such as kentuckiense in the background.
All my plants are 'overpotted' into at least eight inch pots and the compost consists of 90% super coarse perlite plus a bit of orchid bark.
I have a collection now of around 90 plants ( mostly hybrids) including several new clones of macranthos ( albas, semi albas) which should all flower this spring so I'll post some more photos then.
The photo is of a large flowered clone of tibeticum which seems to like the same growing conditions as macranthos. This species is a good clumper when happy with a multiplication rate more akin to the hybrids - at least doubling each year,

Regards,

David

 

[SlipperFan]

That is beautiful, David!

 

[Erythrone]

Just because he is north, doesn't mean he's cold. Erythrone - what zone are you in?

There are many Cyp. sellers in the U.S. - why do you have to go to Ebay? Do none of them have this species?

Kevin, my USDA zone is...3. But there is always a good snow cover here. And the garden is not windy. That is why we can grow many perennials from zone 4, 5 or 6.

In Canada, we can buy it from Fraser Thimble Farm (British Columbia).

 

[tocarmar]

Very nice flowers!! The second pic is real dark.. I'd love to get one of those!! I'll put it on the wish-list!!!
I placed an order from Ron (Gardens of Post Hill) for some seedling compots
Fasciolatum, Franchentii, Macranthos, & Reginae var albo, & one plant Cyp. arietinum..

 

[Kevin]

Kevin, my USDA zone is...3. But there is always a good snow cover here. And the garden is not windy. That is why we can grow many perennials from zone 4, 5 or 6.

In Canada, we can buy it from Fraser Thimble Farm (British Columbia).

I thought you might be warmer than that - I'm in zone 3 (or 2). I've bought from FTF many times, but can't seem to get a handle on the Cyps, yet. I'll try again. They aren't cheap, though!

 

[Erythrone]

No, Kevin, they aren't cheap!!! That's the problem.

But the summer is cool here. That is good for many asian plants.

Since most of our plants don't take care of the hardines zone, maybe I will try it one day...

 

[Kevin]

David: no need to apologize about the photos - they're great!

 

[NYEric]

the compost consists of 90% super coarse perlite plus a bit of orchid bark.
David

David, that photo isnt perlite or bark. I'm going to order some from Gardens at Post Hill and try Pot culture this time. I know there are still a couple in the garden but I don't have much faith in them.

 

[smartie2000]

that is absolutely gorgeous

 

[monocotman]

compost

Eric,

sorry I forgot to say that I 'top off' the top inch of the pots with hydroleuca (expanded clay granules very similar to ones used in SH) as a mulch.
It seems to deter the slugs and is much nicer to look at than perlite.
I heard this year from a Belgian grower that it also releases small amounts of nitrogenous fertilizer each time it is watered.
It is very easy to remove this in the autumn when the plants have died down to check on next years buds as they all form at the interface between the two layers.
I like to check on all my pots at this time and note down the number of growths for next year.
I have an excel file full of this nerdy type information going back to 2004.
Very useful for checking on growth rates.
If I don't do it then then I forget in the general rush of spring in the garden.
The first photo is of a particularly exciting plant - a seedling tibeticum from last autumn. I'm assured by the hybridist that some of its siblings have been excellent. There was a single large growth last year - you can still see the old stem.
Next year holds the promise of not only the first flower ( or three) but also upto five new growths.
The second photo is the hotei atsumorianum from the first post.
You can see the two old unflowered growths from this year and the four buds for next year. If I had to guess there seem to be two which are large enough to flower and one that definitely isn't. The third one, bottom left, who knows?

Regards,

David