My Cyps 2012

[Dido]

This ventricosum is very great love the color
Folr me only one floweres this year

 

[parvi_17]

Cyp. Paul (parviflorum x franchetii). This hybrid is similar to Gisela but compared to the Gisela I have, the flowers are larger, and in my opinion, have nicer colour. It's also a taller and overall more attractive plant. I have seen other clones of Gisela that look more like this, though.



Here is my Cyp. Gisela (parviflorum x macranthos). Despite the fact that Gisela is often cited as the easiest Cyp to grow, I have not had great luck with this one. I had two others that are both dead: one eaten by an animal (obviously not the plant's fault), and the other just disappeared. The one remaining went through a lot of stress the first couple years I had it from being moved several times, and is finally bouncing back and beginning to multiply. This year it has five flowers, one on each stem.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Joe, I agree your yellow lipped Paul is really nice. Funny that you've had problems with Gisela, it is such a "weed" that I can even grow it here in southern Japan (a climate similar to Charleston, SC). Sebastian is lovely - another great substitute for its finicky parent, C. montanum.

 

[Dido]

Paul is a great hybrids, have to have a look for it.

 

[parvi_17]

Today's updates:

A pubescens I like:



Cyp. Sabine (fasciolatum x macranthos). This is currently my favorite plant on this earth. The flower is so stunning in person and HUGE. It's a first bloom seedling, so I'm sure it will get even better. I had to hold the flower up for the close-ups, because unfortunately, they nod. They also have dorsals that hide the flower . That annoys me a little, but it's still an amazing bloom.

 

[parvi_17]

More, taken today:

Cyp. Maria (parviflorum x speciosum). Not my favorite, but not terrible. The colors are washed out on it this year. It is a small plant with slightly smaller flowers than Gisela. Still pretty though. I couldn't get a decent close-up because of the plant's position.



A pubescens:



C. pubescens with Sebastian, and reginae in the front:



C. pubescens with Aki Pastel:



C. pubescens with Gisela:



A nice clump of pubescens:



Misc. close-ups of pubescens:







And not a Cyp, but still cool. Amerorchis rotundifolia. I posted about these a couple years ago. They were rescued from an area that was about to be torn apart for construction, and they have lived and bloomed happily in my garden ever since - that was 4 years ago now I believe.

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

You have so many cyps! Wonderful! :clap:

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Looking great Joe. I too love Sabine, one of the best hybrids out there IMO.

 

[NYEric]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[parvi_17]

Thanks for looking guys!

New for me this year is Cyp. Lothar Pinkepank (pubescens x kentuckiense). I am really impressed with this. The flowers look almost exactly like kentuckiense and are about the same size. If this multiplies faster than kentuckiense (I'm expecting that it will), I'll be one happy camper!

 

[newbud]

Great looking cyps Joe...do you think they would grow in Tennessee? I live in the mountains on the Georgia border and would like to start a cyp garden. I have acuales growing there so far but they are indigenous. I know they like cold in the winter and it goes down into the 20's F. here. What do you'all think/

 

[parvi_17]

Great looking cyps Joe...do you think they would grow in Tennessee? I live in the mountains on the Georgia border and would like to start a cyp garden. I have acuales growing there so far but they are indigenous. I know they like cold in the winter and it goes down into the 20's F. here. What do you'all think/

I'm sure they'd be fine. As long as you get at least 3 months of winter where temps are at or near freezing, you can grow Cyps. Most species and hybrids grow in USDA zones 2-8, and sometimes even 9.

 

[Linus_Cello]

I'm in Zone 7 which seems to be the border for warmth for some hybrids/species. Last year in May when we had the heat wave, I lost an Ulla Silkens. I have Lothar Pinkepank (I agree, a very good hybrid, plus its ok in zone 8); [new] Ulla Silkens and Gisela (ok hybrid, both ok in zone 7); pubescens (a very good species); and reginae and Ursel (just got in the spring, can't comment on their ease of growing).

I'm near to the US National Arboertum, and they have a good clump of japonicum.

If you can, see if you can get a hybrid with acule; hopefully it will impart heat tolerance. As mentioned above Lothar grows in zone 8.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

New for me this year is Cyp. Lothar Pinkepank (pubescens x kentuckiense). I am really impressed with this. The flowers look almost exactly like kentuckiense and are about the same size. If this multiplies faster than kentuckiense (I'm expecting that it will), I'll be one happy camper!

Lovely hybrid Joe. Good to hear it is cold hardy up your way too.

Great looking cyps Joe...do you think they would grow in Tennessee? I live in the mountains on the Georgia border and would like to start a cyp garden. I have acuales growing there so far but they are indigenous. I know they like cold in the winter and it goes down into the 20's F. here. What do you'all think/

Any of the more warm tolerant species might do well - formosanum, japonicum, henryi, kentuckiense, pubescens, and perhaps even fasciolatum and macranthos. As for the hybrids, crosses with kentuckiense and parviflorum are the most likely candidates. Perhaps more important than heat tolerance is studying the conditions Cyps like - sites such as Ron Burch's Gardens at Post Hill and Bill Steele's Spangle Creek Labs can give you starting points.

I live in an equivalent zone 9 in southern Japan and have found formosanum to be the "king" of heat tolerance, followed closely by japonicum, then kentuckiense, henryi, pubescens, and various hybrids. I've grown C. macranthos seedlings for years now (Lake Baikal sourced) and they have managed to increase ever so slowly. If you want to see more about my efforts check out this article: Cyps in a hot climate

 

[newbud]

Good stuff. Thanks for taking the time to respond guys.

 

[parvi_17]

Lovely hybrid Joe. Good to hear it is cold hardy up your way too.

Well I haven't wintered it yet, but others here have, and I fully expect it to be hardy since kentuckiense has overwintered for two winters for me so far, and many more for other local growers.

 

[parvi_17]

Here is Cyp. passerinum, taken today. This has been a little bit of a touchy species for me, but I now have a flowering specimen, which I am pleased with. For me passerinum seems to do best if grown like reginae. I thought they liked heavier shade but they never flowered for me in such conditions.

I don't know if this flower will open any more. If it does, I'll post another pic. Not the showiest flower in the world (or the biggest), but there is something charming about it.

 

[Kevin]

Very nice! It might open more, but if it does, not by much. How tall is your plant? Interesting that yours didn't bloom in shade.

You are very fortunate to have easy access to all these varieties of Cyps.

 

[parvi_17]

Very nice! It might open more, but if it does, not by much. How tall is your plant? Interesting that yours didn't bloom in shade.

You are very fortunate to have easy access to all these varieties of Cyps.

My passerinums have never grown taller than 6 inches, which is about as tall as this one is. The flower is about the size of a penny.

Cyps have not always been that easy to get here, and at the moment species are very hard to find with the exception of pubescens and reginae. When Hole's had their best selection I was very young and just starting. That was a decade ago now. I could order over the mail if I wanted to, but I haven't had positive experiences with it in the past so I am hesitant. But yes, the plants I have been able to get I'm lucky to have. I'm just jealous of the American and especially European growers .

 

[parvi_17]

The passerinum did open a bit more: