It is common “knowledge” that the orchid is a tropical/subtropical plant. But in truth, orchids can be found in almost every part of the globe outside of the deserts and the polar regions.

About 85% of orchid types may inded be found in the tropics and subtropics, but that leaves a large proportion to the more temperate zones. Among other things, this means that you will not be out of luck if you live in a cool area and want to grow orchids, but do not have a greenhouse or other such area in which do so so.

There are tens of thousands of orchid species. You could be astounded to know that there could be orchids growing in your own neighborhood, even if your home is in one of our more northerly regions. Take the fairly common Lady Slipper.

Lady Slippers (also written Lady’s Slippers and Ladyslippers) is a name given to a large subfamily of orchids, the Cypripedioidea, with many members that grow in cool climates over much of North America and Europe. If you live in the New England states of the U.S., or the Appalachian mountain region, or even in Canada, you might find Lady Slippers of one variety or another growing in the woods near your home.

A species of Lady Slipper is the state flower of Minnesota. Another is the official state wildflower of New Hampshire. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has a Lady Slipper as its official flower.

If you’re considering growing orchids, especially in an outdoor garden, you would do well to consider a native species. It will already be used to your particular climate, and–if you live in a place that has low temperatures in the winter–you might not even have to bring it inside when cold weather arrives.

One of the prettiest native-American orchids is the Yellow Lady Slipper. It is also among the easiest orchids to grow in a garden. On the other hand, the Pink Lady Slipper is extremely difficult to grow.Clearly, unless you are already experienced with growing orchids, the Yellow Lady Slipper is the preferred choice.

Nurseries that specialize in orchid plants tend to run out of stock from time to time. Nevertheless, Lady Slippers are generally some of the easiest orchids to obtain. They also tend to be less expensive than orchid plants from exotic locations. They are a great orchid for getting your thumb green, so to speak, before you take on the rarer or more “foreign” species.

All of the advice pertaining to successful orchid cultivation apply to the Lady Slippers and similar plants. You need accurate information before you begin trying to grow these or other orchids, and  the best, most complete guide to modern orchid cultivation, hands down, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Mr. Howard’s guide is a complete course in itself, suitable for beginners as well as the more experienced. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.

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