Try Vermont Lady Slipper (www.vtladyslipper.com). Wonderful plants completely nursery propagated and grown on.

Vermont Lady Slipper is indeed a great company.

Here's another one:

Here is a link that might be useful: Spangle Creek Labs

Hi, Some other sources are:

http://www.uslink.net/~brandon/ILF.html
A drive up only place, if you live in Central MN.

http://www.cyphaven.com/
Great plants, but only accepts orders from 8-1 to 9-1 or something like that.

http://www.rmorchids.com/
C. montanum in particular.

http://www.orchidmix.com/cyps.htm
Great seed prop plants of various ages, and some really rare species that I've never seen offered anywhere else!

http://www.thimblefarms.com/98orchidtf.html
Never ordered from them and don't know their ethics. I don't know how they got their more rare stuff....

In MA, they have some Frosch brand hybrids, as well as some species.
http://www.hillsidenursery.biz/

Various Asian orchids, including C. japonicum & debile, though neither are hardy outside in MN and both are difficult to grow. In PA.
http://asiaticanursery.com/index.php/cPath/17/sort/2a/page/1?osCsid=bef13d7cf67ea9d735046f84a9f9a910

Best,
Ross

Ross has pretty much covered the bases with the larger American sources. Plant Delights also carries a few at times. Not the cheapest nursery however. Which brings up an important point: these plants aren't cheap, especially adults. Be prepared to pay anything between $35-$50 (or more) per plant. Also, unless you are experienced with growing seedling Cyps, I would refrain from buying seedlings. They are quite needy and easily die if not cared for properly (a nearly daily procedure when in growth). I also would avoid C. acaule except if you can get it from Vermont Ladyslipper Co. Almost all other state side sources are wild collected plants that in all likelihood will die in the first couple seasons. I strongly suggest you do some reading on the care and maintenance of these plants before buying any.

Having said that, your state is a great place to grow Cyps, especially the native C. reginae and C. parviflorum varieties which aren't too difficult to grow if you start with good plants. Good luck. PF

I have found that all Cyps adapt better to new surroundings when planted in fall while dormant. Spring is chancy with anything other than well established plants. Good site prep and a little research is the key.

One more reliable, 100% nursery prop, inexpensive source for acaule and others

http://www.planteck.com

Plantfreak is right parviflorum is "easiest" but not easy.

Good Luck!

KWoods, thanks for the info that one would have better luck planting cyps in the fall when dormant. Makes sense. I hear they hate to have their roots disturbed. I bought a pink lady's slipper at a park district plant sale, in bloom, and all of 6 or 7 inches tall, last spring. I amended the planting hole with peat, and after planting, broke up some dried out pine needles(never do this w/o gloves, BTW)and mulched the plant with them. We'll see if it comes back.

I hope this is my last dumb move with native plants. I have made many of them. Love that learning curve! I have dry shade. That will be my last attempt at the pink kind, because I just don't have appropriate habitat for it here....I'll try some yellows next fall.

I was thinking of buying seedlings from Spangle Creek. Ross, thanks for the tip-off on how difficult they can be, you probably just saved me a bit o'the green. Now, I'm off to do some research on the care of cyp seedlings. April

Trick for acaule... ph of 4 or a little less seems ideal. Adjusting ph is only temporary so I add cider vinegar to rain water and foliar feed/soak roots. One tbsp of vinegar to one gallon of water. This actually works, I only have to do it two or three times a year depending on ph. I had little success w/ acaule 'til I read and tried this. Some people use buttermilk, never tried this. Mix is screened pine needle duff/screened peat/pearlite/sharp sand, 50/30/10/10. Dappled morning (cool part of the day) sun. Also mulch w/ chopped pine needles and get a cheapie ph meter to keep track. Much better, easier, sensible, simple, sane if you have a site with the right ph/drainage/sun to start with.

Buy only lab propagated cyps, there are more and more evry year.

I have tons of C. acule (very acid woodland). Been told by an experienced orchid grower that the best way to transplant is to dig a large diameter portion of the soil along with it (~1-2 feet in each direction) because you want to get the symbiotic mycorhizal fungi too. Should lead to less transplant shock too, I should think.

I posted this on a previous thread, but that was deleted due to flaming...so here goes again.

If you are interested in growing Cyps, a good choice are the hybrids that are becoming more available each year. I think they will grow in popularity in coming years and the prices will come down a bit. Specifically, the hybrids C. Gisela, C. Aki, C. Ulla Silkens, C. Sabine, and C. Philipp are all worth growing. Especially C. Gisela has shown extreme vigor in gardens, much more so than even the best growing species.

Here's a nursery that carries both hybrid and species Cyps, as well as some really cool woodland perennials. Their prices are reasonable and folks I know who've ordered from them were impressed with the plants they got:

Hillside Nursery

Also, here's a shot of my C. Ulla Silkens last spring. There's lots of variation with this cross and this plant is NOT the best looking one I've seen. PF

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:59884}}

Oh I am so glad everyone is adding back their links from that other thread. I went back to look for it and it was gone and it had so much good information in it. Thanks all.

Lab prop sources in no particular order

hillside nursery
Rocky Mountain orchids
Raisingrarities
Robert's
Plantek
Spangle Creek
Wild Orchid Company
Crusta Care (Belgium)
Vermont Ladyslipper Co
Cyp Haven
Paul Christian (UK)
Fraser's Thimble Farms (Canada)

I'm sure there are more

This is where Robert's gets many of his plants from. These are seedlings at a good price. PF

Here is a link that might be useful: Phytesia

White Flower Farm lists following in Spring 05 Catalogue:
Cyp kentuckiense $165
Cyp parviflorum pubescens $115
Cyp reginae $165
They call these "nursery propagated plants". Seems strange to me that they are all bareroot.
On the other hand, my experience with buying the SMALL seedlings direct from the lab, be prepared to coddle them for several years to reach blooming size.
Sam

Here is a link that might be useful: White Flower Farm

WOW!

They better weed their own beds for that kinda $$$!

Yeah, White Flower's prices are insane (they remind me of what I have to pay for these in Japan!). Hillside will send you very nice plants at a third the cost! Compare C. kentuckiense: WF-$165; HS-$52 ($46 each if you buy 3 or more). The choice is yours!

Sam, they are bareroot because its easier to send that way and many growers cultivate them in beds, not pots. Rarely will you get a potted Cyp in the mail. If you're concerned that your getting wild collected plants, check out this link to look for the telltale signs: black root tips, cut roots, blacken roots, and so on. Don't buy from vendors that sell stock such as this! PF

Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Collected Rhizome

I'm just wondering HOW they can charge so much for their cyps? When you can go to Spangle Creek or where-ever and get many for the price of their one! april

I am looking here for some advice on whether or not it is possible to transplant a couple of these that are growing wild in our woodland area. Unfortunately they are growing right smack in the middle of the path. Rather than come out one day and find them trampled (this is a woodland that we technically own but many others use for walking) I thought I would move them to a more protected spot - even just a few feet away. I thought about re-routing the path, but for several reasons, it needs to remain where it is. Any advice for giving them a better home? Are there restrictions to moving them? Thought I'd ask here before I proceed. Thanks -

Pink? 2 basal leaves? These guys need specific ph requirements, have extensive root systems, have a symbiont (I know, Iknow not "neccesary" but may be helpful for optimal health/longevity).

How long have they been there? Did people just start walking there? These plants can supposedly live 100 yrs or more (I would not know personally because I'm only 39).

They do not like to be disturbed, especially this time of year, much better to mark them and move them in fall when dormant only if absolutely neccesary. Be careful next spring's growth buds are forming now.

Here is a blurb (pdf) from NH Natural Heritage on transplanting Cyp acaule.

Better to preserve the habitats these plants require than to save a single plant. Good Luck!

Using a large garden fork works the best for Pink Lady Slippers. YOu use the fork to lift up the roots without breaking the growing tips. Trying to dig around one in the ground without cutting the tips is next to impossible. We here at Garden in the Woods have had many successful rescues using this method.
t

Thank you for your quick replies. I am unsure of the species - we are in coastal Massachusetts. The leaves are a single pair tight to the ground, orchid-like, large, with a pink thumb-sized flower that rise on stems about 7 inches high. There are two or three of them that are right on the edge of the path. As the path gets more use, I'm just afraid that they will be trampled if I do nothing.

Any further transplant tips based on this information would be helpful. There aren't very many of them (maybe 5 total that I can see in this woodland area)

BTW, what is a symbiont? Sounds like something I ought to know about. How deep do the roots generally run? I'm confused whether I should transplant a large area in hopes of not disturbing any of the roots or forking the roots and losing much of the medium around it.

Thanks again for your guidance. They are so lovely and we are lucky to have them here. This was never a "planted" area to the best of my knowledge, so they are natural and I would have no way to guess how old they might be.

Trish

Why not simply move the path over a bit? Use barriers such as rocks etc. to keep people from walking over the plants. Yes, you can move these but it is not such a great idea especially if you've had no experience with it. The species you're talking about is Cypripedium acaule, a fairly common, yet extremely tempermental one. If you do decide to move them, wait until fall after the leaves have naturally died down. I'd say you will have better than a 50% chance of killing them if you move them. That is my opinion, though others will disagree. PF

Pf - thanks for your reply. Pleased to know what species we are dealing with. The path is bordered on both sides by ledge, or more accurately, a big boulder on one side and some ledge on the other. Only about 6 feet between them, and the path lies in between. Thought it would only be a matter of time before the 3-foot wide path becomes 3 1/2 feet or 4 and the Lady Slippers are trod upon. They are so close to the edge of the path. I'll continue to look here for ideas on how to approach this. Will have to weigh the probability of them being killed by feet or dogs vs. the probability of them being killed in the transplanting. Are there laws that anyone knows about forbidding moving them to new spots to protect them? How do these things propagate naturally? Sorry to be so ill-informed, but this is where I come to learn things!

Thanks all

Hi Twiz,
You since you mention a 3 ft trail at this spot with the Cyps on the side, could you put a wire cage around/over the plants? This would prevent trampling and pose as an obsticle for path widening. 3ft seems wide enough. Some people use tall chickenwire, & some use thicker cage material, though I'm not sure what.

As for laws, as long as they are on your property, you can do anything you like to them... Not that I'm saying go put them in the compost bin, but legally you can. Ethically, it's best to leave them since they seem to like it where they are.

As for propagation, they do form new growths if happy enough. cf the link below. They also produce seed, though this species seems to produce seed an average of 10-20% of the time it flowers. Artificial pollination bumps this up to 80-90%. The seeds are the size of a grain of sand and germinate in nature very slowly. It may take 2-5yrs before they show signs of their first leaves, and 6-15yrs (purportedly) to flower. Artificially, we can do better in vitro with seedlings in 1 to 2 yrs and flowering in 3-7yrs.

Best,
Ross

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1352167}}

thanks Ross - Brilliant suggestion, which if done tastefully might be a nice feature. I'll start looking around for something appropriate to put over them. They are just starting to die back now. Your photo is amazing!

Thanks again!

Trish

Hi Trish,
Many cyp growers use the cage idea to keep the deer out, but it would work just as well for people & dogs too.

The Photo isn't mine, though. Check out Bill Steele's photo pages:

http://www.uslink.net/~scl/photogal.html

http://www.uslink.net/~scl/photoga2.html

http://www.uslink.net/~scl/gardengal.html

Best,
Ross

Thanks to everybody for your responces that posted on this question asked. My mother is now living with my family, and all she talks about is the Lady Slippers she use to have when I was small. She is terminal and want me to plant her some Lady Slippers. I am not a beginer gardner, and am not a master gardner, just kind of in between. All this info will help me locate them and take care of them....THANKS SO Much.

Martha

Have you considered lady slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum)? We recently visited Carter and Holmes Orchids (www.carterandholmes.com) and purchased some very nice ones for indoors. If you contacted them and explained your mothers health situation, I'm sure they would find some in spike to send to you. Your mother could have these to look at inside (in case she is unable to get around outside very much).

The Orchid forum could also recommend some other excellent orchid nurseries.

Gail

This thread lists a lot of sources.

You live in a great state with ethical sources of Hardy Native Orchid . . . . .
Wildflower Rescue of MN, CITES & APHIS documentation
http://www.wildflowerrescue.com/
The already mentioned Spangle Creek Labs
http://www.spanglecreeklabs.com/
And their affiliated company, Itasca Ladyslipper Farm selling blooming sized Orchid from their 'in vitro' seedlings
http://www.ladyslipperfarm.com/

Hi--I have been growing native and hybrid lady slippers for the past 3 years in my suburban garden. The early ones are blooming now and are just stunning. The showy ladies are up and looking very healthy, but won't bloom for a few more weeks. The hybrids are much easier and more vigorous growers but the natives are doing well too. The key is to remove the soil in your planting space and amend with mostly course sand and some compost/soil. This is crucial as they do not like wet roots and will die out in heavy soil. Even normal garden soil won't work. I never thought I would be successful, but I now have a beautiful slipper garden and they spread every year.