Paphiopedilum Basics

[Arizona Jeanie]

My Phal noids are blooming and looking so nice right now, I'm thinking of bravely trying something new to me--a Paphiopedilum perhaps. When I look at growers' websites, a lot of the Paphs offered for sale will list the parent plants but no picture, and only an estimate of what the flowers might look like. So I take it that Paphs can't be cloned like Phals can, and these are plants that haven't bloomed yet, started from seed with the listed parents? Is there any way to figure out what to expect in the way of flower color and plant size? My space is very limited so I'd like to know what I'm getting if that's possible. Also, how do Phals and Paphs differ in cultural needs? Thanks, I appreciate ya'alls expert advice!

[bil]

I'm new to Paphs too. If the results I'm getting so far are indicative, they seem to do OK with light levels higher than a phal, more in line with oncidiums or milts.

Phals I pot in coarse bark with no moss, paphs and phrags get fine bark and some moss and more water than the phals.

Like I say, it's my first year, and the nearest I have come to reflowering them is that the first paph I bought has dropped its flower (at the end of its time, and is reblooming from the next fan.)

So if anyone has any points to make, I'd be interested in hearing suggestion.

[DeaC]

Jeanie,once you get your questions answered,check outslipperorchids.infofor great pix on hybrids.

[PaphMadMan]

The most important "basic" I can offer about Paphs is that they are not all the same in cultural needs, so don't get just any Paph to start. If you want something that should do well with essentially Phal culture (not to say Phals are all the same either) you do have some good choices. The biggest difference would be needing slightly more water retentive media to maintain even moisture (but never soggy).

And yes, it is true that Paphs can't be cloned commercially, so except for a few expensive divisions of mature plants almost all plants available will be variable seedlings, either pre-bloom or at first bloom. If you buy pre-bloom plants the best you can do is find out what the parents or siblings look like and trust the genetic lottery will give you something similar.

There are 2 types you probably want to look for to begin with - sequential flowering Paphs, and mottled leaf hybrids. There are usually the cheapest and most available, as well as being the ones that pretty reliably fit right in with Phal conditions.

The classic example of the mottled leaf type is Paph Maudiae, and Paph Pinocchio is a typical and commonly available sequential. Pictures of those as examples should be easy to find, and most vendors that sell a lot of Paphs will list similar types together, clearly identified.

If you want to mention some vendors/crosses you are looking at I can give best guesses at appearance and confirm types if you are uncertain.

[estación seca]

I'm a paph beginner too. Mine have been doing exceptionally well in semihydroponic culture. I have Pinocchio, maudiae types, solid green leaf types and P. rothschildianum. Different paphs need different amounts of light, so you will need to do some reading.

[Optimist]

I am new to paphs as of this late winter/ spring. I have a complex "bulldog" type, a Rothchildianum cross, a Bernice, a complex druryi, a tonsum, and a delenati, and by next week a Greyii (a bellatulum cross). My thoughts for someone wanting phal light level paphs without much room is stick with the small mottled-leaf intermediate paphs, then maybe expand from there if you get more room. There are "cool growing" and warm growing paphs with the cool growing ones coming from India. (My druryi is cool growing) My suggestion is to try to avoid the long leaf paphs due to space considerations. That Druryi is a huge plant which will get much larger. The rothchild and berenice will get huge as well. The tonsum, delenatii, and greyii will stay fairly small, at least phal size, at least for a good long time. They are also very different in shape and color, so you will not have cookie cutter shapes and colors like some collections. How a person collects, and what are up to individual tastes. I tend to like having very different plants, maybe not in care, but in shape and color. Paphs, are an excellent choice for someone who believes they have gotten a handle on phals. I find them easier to care for than phals!

[estación seca]

The mottled leaf ones are really pretty foliage plants. They look great even without flowers.

And in almost all plants, hybrids are easier to grow than species, due to hybrid vigor. I started with mostly hybrids for that reason. Except - I had to have a Paph. rothschildianum, since I know the lady who rediscovered it, Sheila Collenette.

[Optimist]

Next part of the question: Paphs are semi-terrestrial. They grow in leaf litter, often on rocks, and those are often marble or limestone type rocks. So, the leaf litter is over the rocks, in mountains in places like Vietnam, Borneo, and some in china, India, and so on. Since they are not epiphites like phals, they grow in slightly slower draining media, so generally people put them in smaller grade bark. It still has to drain. They do not like wet feet (like phrags which look a lot like them). But, they do not want to dry out either, so you have to decide what the best media is for where you will have them grow. I am in New Mexico, and I will have my phals growing inside mostly, but will give them little outdoors field trips. We are much too dry here. If you look at where they grow, they probably always have rain, heavy mist, or other water around them. They do like water, but it has to be fast draining. You could probably research the actual location that your species grows in. Hope this helps, but you need to decide on a species you will get.