The Toughest Paph: Paphiopedilum druryi

[mremensnyder]

Tonight, I repotted the two Paphs I currently have in my collection. They get put in regular orchid potting mix from Home Depot. I have tried a good number of others over the past 18 years and have lost many due to lack of skill and unstable cultural practices. The two that remain are Paphiopedilum druryi and Paph. kolopakingii.

A list off the top of my head of Paphs (and related) I have killed:
Paphiopedilum rothschildianum
Paphiopedilum sanderianum
Paphiopedilum spicerianum
Paphiopedilum bellatulum
Paphiopedilum armeniacum
Paphiopedilum delenatii
Paphiopedilum hainanense
Phrag. kovachii (ouch)
Mexipedium xerophyticum (fungus after years of success)
Phrag. longifolium
Phrag. ecuadorense

I talked my dad into buying me the 4" potted, single growth Paph. druryi from World of Orchids in 1997 for the whopping sum of $55! This orchid is native to the sunny, open areas in a limited part of the southern tip of India. Even at the time, it was known to be virtually extinct in the wild. This orchid has been with me ever since, survived Central FL, Northern Virginia in a leaky little greenhouse for a few winters, back to Florida for droughts, freezes, hurricanes, shade, full sun, potting media that had long since degraded to mush, etc. It has seen it all and is now a large specimen size clump, which bloomed for the first time in 2009.

The freeze of early 2010 (the only freeze to ever affect it at all) almost did it in, reducing it to just a couple growths. This from several nights of 25F, sleet, many nights below freezing and a month of chilly weather. An insult from which it has rebounded beautifully. I can only imagine how large it would be if not for 2010. I would have to nominate this tropical Paphiopedilum species as the toughest of the bunch. At least for hot subtropical growing conditions with some winter chill.

The multi-floral Paph kolopakingii has been in my collection since 2009 and is quite a survivor itself, though I have never exposed it to freezing temperatures or extremely dry conditions. I haven't killed it yet and it looks great! Pictures will be posted tomorrow.