These flowers are considered by many people to be either bizzare and repulsive or exotic and beautiful, some are even surprised to learn that Paphiopedilum are orchids at all. Often called the Venus slipper or Lady slipper orchids they share many features in common with carnivorous plants that have also evolved to attract insects. The genus is native to Asia and New Guinea, and compromises of 80 agreed by taxonomist species and dozens of natural and man created hybrids. The genus was described and named by Ernst Hugo Heinrich Pfitzer in 1886 who was a German specialist in taxonomy of Orchids. Oddly enough Paphiopedilum are the most widely and hybridized of orchid genera. Some of them come in striking bright colours some have such dark shades they appear black, maudiae type Paphs have beautiful mottled leaves which are a decoration themselves. Care: Paphiopedilum normally grow in the low parts of the forests and jungles in semi shade and require less light than s...
Spending my free time in mastering the difficult (let's be honest) art of growing orchids, as well as trying to share my knowledge to people around me in the United Kingdom and further.