The most beautiful of all european orchids grows in shady beech forests with lime soil.

Sadly, biotope destruction and excessive pilfering of the natural habitats have extincted this marvellous plant in the most places.

It's both curse and blessing that these plants grows well in garden culture. Although young plants need the mycorrhiza, adult ones don't. Usually it takes five years or more before the plant is strong enough to bloom.

There are about forty Cypripedium species in the world, mostly in the U.S.A, Canada, Russia, China and Japan.

Cypripedium parviflorum from the northeast U.S.A. looks like a twin of the german species, but is a little smaller. From the same area come the magnificent pink and white C. reginae which can be cultivated easily and the smaller pink C. acaule and C. arietinum which are difficult in culture. All mentioned species like more or less moist biotopes.

Extremely beautiful are the russian species C. macranthum with a large purple blossom and C. guttatum with a spotted blossom.

Many species are used to create hybrids in these days, so it becomes more and more important to preserve the originals.