Paphiopedilum appletonianum
Appleton's Paphiopedilum
Family Orchidaceae
About
A small to medium slipper orchid native to Hainan and eastern Indochina, named after W. M. Appleton, who first grew it in Europe.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Shade-loving: roughly 1,000–2,000 foot-candles, such as an east or west window or a shaded south window. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Keep the mix evenly moist but never soggy; do not leave the pot standing in water. General guidance for the genus
- Humidity
- Moderate, about 40–50%; a tray of damp gravel helps, with steady air movement. General guidance for the genus
- Temperature
- Nights about 13–22 °C (55–72 °F), days 21–29 °C (70–85 °F); mottled-leaf and multi-flowered types prefer the warmer end, plain green-leaved types the cooler end. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Fine to medium fir bark with perlite, sand or sphagnum; limestone-dwelling species appreciate added limestone chips or oyster shell. General guidance for the genus
- Pot
- Repot about every two years, or sooner if the mix breaks down. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Divide established clumps into groups of three to five growths; single growths may take time to flower. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Six to eight narrow leaves 10–25 cm long, green with faint darker mottling above and purple-marked at the base below. A purple, finely hairy stalk 15–50 cm tall usually bears a single upright flower 6–10 cm wide with a very variable staminode. Flowers mostly March to May.
Distribution & habitat
Hainan Island and eastern Indochina, in wet forest on steep granite slopes and damp river canyons near waterfalls at 700–2,000 m.
Ecology
Grows in humus and leaf litter, occasionally on mossy trees or boulders. A Hainan variety (var. hainanense) and an albino form are recognised.
History & etymology
Named after W. M. Appleton, the first person to cultivate it in Europe.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Nights about 13–22 °C (55–72 °F), days 21–29 °C (70–85 °F); mottled-leaf and multi-flowered types prefer the warmer end, plain green-leaved types the cooler end.
- Humidity
- Moderate, about 40–50%; a tray of damp gravel helps, with steady air movement.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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