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Cypripedium tibeticum
Also called Tibetan Cypripedium, Tibetan Lady's Slipper Orchid
Tibetan Cypripedium (Cypripedium tibeticum) is a hardy terrestrial slipper orchid from the Himalayas and western China, grown in gardens rather than as a houseplant. It is not a beginner's plant: it needs a cool, moist summer, winter dormancy protection, and a limestone-type mix.
Cypripedium tibeticum is a species of slipper orchid in the section Cypripedium in the subsec. Macrantha It is native to Bhutan, Sikkim, and Western China (Gansu, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan).
Together with its close relatives, this species replaces C. macranthos in southwestern China and the Himalayan region, and requires growing conditions similar to the latter in some respects. It differs in being more adapted to continental high mountain regions. Hence it needs some protection in winter, especially during frost-free periods, to maintain dormancy. It should not receive too much rain in winter. In summer, it needs constant watering and a fresh and cool atmosphere while receiving full light (avoid the burning sun around noon). It can acclimatise in gardens, but will not grow into big clumps nor become as persistent as C. macranthos. In the wild it is found growing in grassland on limestone and should have a compost with a pH between 6 and 7. It is not a beginner's species. Mixes A, B, C, D (made with coarse sand and some oyster shells), and J.
Mix A: One part loam pellets, one part Seramis (or comparable materials like pumice gravel), one part rotten wood, and one part coarse sand.
C. tibeticum occurs in Sikkim, Bhutan and western China (Xizang, Yunnan, Sichuan and possibly S. Gansu). It grows in open montane meadows, margins of coniferous and mixed woodlands, open limestone ledges and screes at elevations of 2300-4600 m. These plants usually form large clumps or colonies.
Pink lady's slipper · Ram's head lady's slipper · Lady's-slipper orchid · California lady's slipper · White lady's-slipper · Dickinson's lady's slipper · Elegant Cypripedium · Clustered lady's slipper · Yellow Cypripedium · Formosa's lady's slipper · Franchet's Cypripedium · Spotted lady's slipper
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cypripedium tibeticum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
