Native Orchids of North America

[Paschendale]

Originally Posted by naoki

Paschendale, does it has to be native to the US? If you are ok with any hardy terrestrial orchids, Bletilla is considered to be one of the easiest terrestrial. Even if some orchids may be growing in your area (e.g. Cyps), you do need to prepare the site to meet the specific requirement of the species. So if you want native orchids, you'll need to do quite a bit of learning. And stick around, there are lots of nice people around this forum, too.

Yes, I'll freely admit that I have lots of learning to do. I would like to encourage any terrestrial orchids that I am able to make a suitable environment for. I have just always had a hankering to have lady's slipper orchids since I first saw pictures of them. To me they embody an orchid in all its perfection and beauty and I have heard older relatives speak of seeing them in the woods and they seem to be gone now. It is the goal I strive for, to be able to culture one and

have it thrive under my care.

---------- Post added at 11:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:59 PM ----------

Sorry for the break in the post...this is from my phone and it does not always cooperate with the site.

[naoki]

Oops, I was confused; you are from Mississipi, not Minnesota. Growing Cyps in zone 8 is an additional challenge. You can email Ron Burch of Gardens at Post Hill to ask if there is an easy Cyps, which can tolerate hot summer.

Here is some interesting read:
If you dare: growing Cypripediums in a hot climate