Paphiopedilum fairrieanum

I got this orchid from German grower Asendorfer at the Gothenburg Orchid Show in September of 2010. I think this is one of the more beautiful Paphiopedilum species around. This is the first time I have flowered one myself and I have really been looking forward to this moment. The flowers measure about 9 cm tall and although I really love the color combination it is the shape that really gets me going. I don’t know why, but to  me it looks a bit old fashion and Victorian somehow, it makes me think of the orchid hunting era of the 1800’s. It is a rather small plant, a clump forming herbaceous epiphyte from the Indian Himalayas and Bhutan where it grows at an altitude of 1300-2200 meters. I grow it in my intermediate room under medium light, potted in a mix of bark, coconut husk and volcanic rocks. I keep it evenly moist, watering about two times per week most of the year, a bit more in the summer.

Paphiopedilum fairrieanum (Lindl.) Stein, Orchid.-Buch: 467 (1892).