Hello my dear readers, I would like to present you a Orchid ID for the Paphiopedilum exul, which I have recently received as a gift from my friends at OrchidGarden Nursery in Poland. First things first, this is a species orchid, which is endemic to the regions of Thailand, and warm to hot regions growing on rocks. This orchid is characteristic by it's very thick and fleshy leaves, which remind of brassavola orchids. The size of the plant is considered small to compact and very decorative, furthermore the small size of the plant is also reflected in the size of the flowers which aren't bigger than 4 cm. The first flower I have seen on this paphiopedilum when I received it was in total the size of my thumb! And it was absurdly cute! As mentioned before these slipper orchids go into the mini / compact range and look very nice both in bloom and in leaf growth stage. The flowers will show on mature fans of new growth and last for a very long time (up to 3 months each...
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.