Getting Native Wild orchids?

[snowflake311]

I would like to keep North American Native Orchids. How do you get into this? Where can you find some? Who keeps them? Why don't we have more native plants?

It seems kind of silly that most of our orchids are from all other parts of the world but right here in the USA alone we have amazing native Orchids. Have they made it into breeding programs?

If you have any I would love to hear about how you got them. I would love Photos too.

---------- Post added at 06:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------

I am looking at the Cypripedium californicum the Cali Lady slipper. Why is this plant not being saved by orchid enthusiast? It is an endangered plant here in the USA. Our own native plants die off while we keep these hybrids. I want to do something about it but how?

[calvin_orchidL]

There are nurseries that sell cypripediums - we have a few up here in Canada, the one I remember is Fraser Thimble Farms. Not sure about sources in the US. They are not widely grown because they are not easily cultivated within the home environment, and require specific winterizing and soil conditions. They are quite amenable to garden culture if you are in the right climate.

[Orchid Whisperer]

One reason that many native North American orchids are endangered is that they are poached/stolen from the wild to be sold to hobbyists. I would recommend buying native orchids only from growers that raise these plants from seed or tissue culture.

[naoki]

Here is the good resource:
Where to buy lady slipper orchids online

C. californicum is not so easy, and you might want to start with the easier ones like C. parviflorum.

You can get C. californicum from:
Arirang Orchids

I'm not sure about the conservation effort of this species, but maybe donating money to some conservation organization may help.

To me, terrestrials are much more challenging than epiphytes.

[Subrosa]

Imo some of our native terrestrials are among the easiest of all orchids to grow. Bog orchids such as Calopogon and some Spiranthes species are practically fool proof here in the mid Atlantic and other regions of the country with adequate rainfall and cold winters. And on top of that, they don't require flasking to grow from seed. They can be germinated on live sphagnum, or even a simple sand/peat moss mix.

[Ray]

Hardy terrestrial orchids for perennial gardens

[DeaC]

Last month @ mtg we heard David Taft speak on NE orchids and he's well known in the field of conservation and identifying what's out there. He may be able to give you some insight for your neck o' the woods.

[Leafmite]

Another knowledgeable vendor of Cyps is Wayne Roberts of Roberts Flower Supply.
Orchid Growing Supplies - Plants for Sale Columbia Station Ohio | Roberts Flower Supply
My father is interested in growing Cyps and bought a few and Wayne really discussed with him what would grow well where my father wanted to grow them and which types were likely to be more successful (twice as we had to return to replace the ones eaten by chipmunks).

If you have ever had problems with squirrels, moles, mice or chipmunks, you probably should build a 'bulb cage' with chicken wire to protect them (as my father found out with the first round). They must be pretty tasty. :|

When you dig up a wild cyp and try to plant it in your own garden, they almost always die because they depend upon certain fungus, bacteria and other conditions found where they grow. The ones that can be successfully planted in your garden are usually seed grown for a few generations so that, through selection, offspring develop that are not dependent upon these microorganisms and conditions and can survive in an environment without them. There are some cyps that still are not all the way there, though, but that work is continuing.

[snowflake311]

Cool thanks guys for the good links. I will check them out.

[mremensnyder]

Snowflake,

Have you purchased any Cypripediums or other North American natives yet? There are many suppliers of our native orchids. Fortunately, this takes some pressure off of precious wild populations. The only two circumstances where I would collect a wild plant is either: a non-endangered species with permission on private property or from an area about to be destroyed or developed.

I purchased a Cypripedium acaule about 5 years ago from eBay, and kept it alive for two seasons in a pot by putting it into the refigerator for about 4 months to simulate dormancy. It didn't successfully bloom for me, and this is probably a species to avoid buying, even if you live in a cold winter climate like Lake Tahoe, since it is notoriously difficult to keep alive in cultivation. I saw a a healthy specimen growing right at the edge of the foot path at a State Park in PA this August.

I have also heard that Cypripedium parviflorum was a good species to start with.

I collect FL native epiphytic orchids and have been able to put together a collection of almost all species from ebay and a few online orchid vendors.