Cyp formosanum in flower
 

I bought this late in 2011 when it was dormant. Last year it had one flower and two growths, this year two flowers and four growths (although the 4th is very tiny).

I always find Cyps a bit nerve wracking as they die right back to just a rhyzome under the medium for the winter. This one is always the first to come back up though. It's not as hardy as the others and I keep it in the greenhouse at a min of around 5C as it doesn't really like to be frozen, that also means it get's going earlier in the season than the others, which are still dormant.

I'm told the saucer like leaves have a danger of collecting water and rotting, but last year I kept it outside in our very wet summer and it didn't seem to have a problem.

The flowers are a better shape than the bloom last year which had a longer thinner pouch.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8515/8...58423e89d5.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8...3bf7f29b35.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8103/8...2eaa067aaa.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8238/8...aa6a10bd39.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8...75bcc1f674.jpg

---------- Post added at 09:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:01 PM ----------

Here's last year's flower, which definitely doesn't have such a nice shape.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6...fa06023a_n.jpg

Beautiful Rosie! Great growing and wonderful patience.

Cheers.
Jim

Love this cypripedium.

That is just simply incredible, Rosie. Very well done.

That's really beautiful and nicely photographed!

Well done.

Kim

Fabulous!

This years flowers are definitively better. It has grown into a wonderful stronger plant and is eye-candy to look at. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks everyone. I love this one :)

Rosie,
sounds like you're doing everything right.
The plants is obviously happy. I'd carry on doing the same things.
It is pretty common for cyps to improve their flowers quite dramatically as they mature and become established,
David