Cypripedium guttatum

[naoki]

This is the first time I've seen flowering Cypripedium guttatum. They are magnificent!

Friends from Czech told me about this population. C. guttatum is growing in fairly open Spruce/Quaking Aspen forest near Fairbanks Alaska. The trees were fairly sparse around the population. The slope was facing WNW, but others were growing on WSW-faicing slope, and plants were getting full sun exposure. Pretty healthy populations with lots of seed pots from last year (which can be seen in the photo). I also saw lots of flowering and juvenile plants. The soil is supposed to be eroded old calcareous rocks. They were growing along with some grass/sedge, Dryas octopetala, and other herbaceous plants typical of interior Alaska.

My seedlings from Spangle Creek Lab are still in the 2nd year after deflasking. It's going to take quite a few more years before flowering. It's kind of interesting that natural Cyp. guttatum is thriving in the soil which doesn't look so different from my backyard. But in cultivation, I'm using a completely different type of soil (mostly perlite).

 

[likespaphs]

fantastic!
thank you

 

[Chicago Chad]

I'm not a big cyp fan, but that little guy is sweet!

 

[eggshells]

Beautiful. You are fortunate to see them in the wild.

 

[NYEric]

Wow! That's hot! Thanks for sharing.

 

[SlipperFan]

Amazing!

 

[Rick]

Those are really superb:clap:

 

[abax]

OMG, that's got to be the most spectacular Cyp. I've ever seen.

 

[JeanLux]

Impressive coloring !!!! Jean

 

[naoki]

Each flower is pretty small, but it is quite something to see hundreds or thousands of these flowers in the boreal forest floor. Because of unusually high density of mosquitos this year, we didn't keep going up the trail. But I guess there are tons of these plants on this hill/mountain.

Flora of Alaska is quite interesting because it used to be connected to Asia via Berringia Land Bridge, but now it is connected to America. This species shows the typical distribution o Berringian species. But unfortunately Alaskan flora isn't so well studied.

 

[Evergreen]

Very beautiful, fantastic photos indeed!

 

[Migrant13]

Thanks for sharing those excellent photos and for the interesting information. And thanks for braving the mosquitoes to get such great pics!!

 

[Erythrone]

Cuties! I tried to guy one last year and a few months ago but it was sold out. It is suppose to be intolerant of heat so it should be OK in our garden.

 

[Spaph]

Awesome photos and what a spectacular species!

 

[Dido]

I like pics from nautre.
Congrats to see them.

Hope mine will flower one day, at least now I did not kill any for 3 years....

 

[cnycharles]

beautiful flower, would love to see someday

Cuties! I tried to guy one last year and a few months ago but it was sold out. It is suppose to be intolerant of heat so it should be OK in our garden.

was that actually a joke?! .. in like, you 'have' no heat where you live so the plants should be fine?

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Thanks for the photos, they are wonderful. This little beauty is so darn cute.

As for growing it in the eastern/middle parts of NA - it should be fine in USDA cold hardiness zones 3 and lower, with zone 4 being more marginal. That translates to the colder parts of the northern tier states of the USA and also most of Canada (perhaps around Lake Ontario there are hotspots it wouldn't enjoy). Carson Whitlow grew it successfully in Iowa, but always ran into trouble when there were heat spells. Then again, he is an expert grower.