Is this listing trustworthy?

[Sharon's Sheepdogs]

I did not look at the eBay listing but I am aware of the difficulty of growing Cyppridiums.Unless you are already experienced in growing these types, I would purchase them only from a recognized vendor who can provide you with the information you need to successfully grow them so they will survive.

The 'MD Orchid Society' provides a link to a site operated by Dr. Clark Riley who is a a grower of Cypridiums but not a seller. It discusses his experiences & provides cultural information along with a list of recommended vendors::

Cypripediums in the House and Garden

One of the vendors listed is 'Plant Delights Nursery' who is one of my favorite vendors to purchase perennial plants from. Tony Avent has an article discussing growing slipper orchids at:

Cypripedium Orchids - Does the Lady Slipper Fit Your Garden? | Article by Plant Delights Nursery

I also found another link, 'Growing N. American Cypridiums' which discusses specific cultural requirements for Cypridium acule and their requirement for highly acidic soil types at:

garden culture of North American Cyp species

If this is your first venture into growing Cypridiums, I would suggest you start with these links. I have thought about growing these hardy orchids but have not yet done so. Would love to hear your experiences if you already are or if this is your first attempt so keep me posted. Sorry this is so long but you've got me excited!

[Bohata]

Originally Posted by Purpoh

I was looking at an Ebay listing and I came across something interesting:

5 pink lady slipper plants ( cypripedium acaule ) | eBay

It's 5 Cypripedium acaule listed for 36 dollars. Are these likely illegally collected plants? If so, is there anything that can be done?

It seems to me Purpoh does not intend to purchase the plants, but know what to do to stop this vendor from collecting illegally IF that is the case.
Having said that, this discussion will be helpful in warning people against purchasing such plants (illegal+almost no chance of success in growing them).

[estación seca]

They are not Federally protected and they are not protected in all States in their native range.

[jkofferdahl]

I still wonder, as we continue to presume that the plants were wrongly collected from the wild, if anyone has bothered to pursue the seller's comments. I think I will.


I asked the seller about the source and here is the response:

these plants were tissue propogated about 12 years ago and have continued to thrive . thanks

[Ray]

Yeah, but a truly knowledgeable grower would ship dormant corms, not actively-growing plants.....

[Roberta]

I would question tissue propagation for Cyps... In the slipper orchid family, I know that Paphs and Phrags don't lend themselves to tissue propagation (maybe someone has had success recently, but typically not.) So unless Cyps are really, really different, I doubt it. Seed, maybe in native habitat. But cloning? I would want more than a seller's say-so.

[AnonYMouse]

I'm glad this isn't a legal proceeding...

...or a scientific one.

[Orchid Whisperer]

It looks like the Ebay listing is closed, but I would not have trusted that the plants were not wild collected, given the low price. There are many states where poaching of wild-collected plants from public land is illegal; likely also true for private land unless permission is granted. If the seller poaches from public land etc. (unknown in this case), and sells to you, does that link you to his crime? I don't know (not a lawyer), and would prefer not to find out. I know in Georgia that plant poaching is illegal.

I would recommend seeking out a source that can confirm plants are nursery-raised.

[jkofferdahl]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

I'm glad this isn't a legal proceeding...

...or a scientific one.

Were it either, the jurists would have made fools of themselves.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I would question tissue propagation for Cyps... In the slipper orchid family, I know that Paphs and Phrags don't lend themselves to tissue propagation (maybe someone has had success recently, but typically not.) So unless Cyps are really, really different, I doubt it. Seed, maybe in native habitat. But cloning? I would want more than a seller's say-so.

Cypripediums have been seed propagated multiple times by various people in countries where Cypripediums have made it into the country's respective orchid hobby.

Seed propagation of Cypripediums remains difficult and time consuming. Sometimes seeds do not germinate in an expedient manner upon sowing in-vitro. Some seeds can take up to 3 years or more to germinate. It is common to have seed grown Cypripediums take anywhere on the order of 3 - 6 years to be deflasked after the seeds have been sown in-vitro. Part of the reason for the above mentioned is something referred to as a "seed dormancy". There are special procedures to sowing Cypripedium seeds that differ in protocol to sowing seeds of epiphytic orchid seeds such as Phalaenopsis in order to overcome this "seed dormancy".

Once deflasked, seedling survival rate can also be fairly low due to their anatomy. Cypripediums are just a mass of roots growing along a rhizome where the nodes produce offshoots with leaves during growing season. They produce adventitious roots that are long, thin, and brittle. Each root does not branch. I have never seen a Cypripedium root branch in the manner that Vanda, Cattleya, or Phalaenopsis roots can. If that root dies back partially, the remaining portion of the root may either die back completely or remain alive but will not grow any new tips. The anatomy of a Cypripedium can make hardening the seedlings off a bit of a challenge. If the roots of a deflasked seedling cannot adapt fast enough to life outside a sterile, humid bottle with nutrients readily available to them, it can spell doom to that seedling. Heavy root loss to a Cypripedium is pretty much fatal to them.

As for cloning Cypripediums, I'm sure it can be done. It is not common practice to produce multitudes of Cypripediums using in-vitro cloning methods, but I'm sure that it has been done before.