Hello everyone and I have another question. this question pertains to winter and several expert in America told me and I quote, "It is not the winter cold that kills the cypripedium, but it is other variables (Winter moisture, rain, warm winters or in Canada, schnooks off the Rockies.) And species like formosanum isn't just the shoot sprouts early and not the cold temperatures. Also for example, a friend of mine purchased californicum from Phytesia and it has been growing for 4 years in his garden bed at zone 4b in Canada. This is my other question and I'm hoping for answers.:confused:

Local conditions vary widely, so the results from one garden to another are not necessarily easy to compare. Some Cyp species come from areas that are frost free in spring (such as C. formosanum) or places where the soil doesn't freeze very much, if at all (populations of C. californiucm near the coast). For some reason plants of C. macranthos from Japanese populations don't seem to like the cold winters of the upper midwestern states of the USA, but Siberian C. macranthos thrive there. Why? Who knows? Experiment and see what happens.

Every bit of advice is just that, advice. These experts weren't always experts. They had to experiment and through that process they found out what works in their growing condtions. Your friend in Canada is a good example - if his C. californicum plant continues to live and thrive then we'll all have more information about this species - its limits and requirements.

So, in the end, no clear answers...just experiments.

Local conditions vary widely, so the results from one garden to another are not necessarily easy to compare. Some Cyp species come from areas that are frost free in spring (such as C. formosanum) or places where the soil doesn't freeze very much, if at all (populations of C. californiucm near the coast). For some reason plants of C. macranthos from Japanese populations don't seem to like the cold winters of the upper midwestern states of the USA, but Siberian C. macranthos thrive there. Why? Who knows? Experiment and see what happens.

Every bit of advice is just that, advice. These experts weren't always experts. They had to experiment and through that process they found out what works in their growing condtions. Your friend in Canada is a good example - if his C. californicum plant continues to live and thrive then we'll all have more information about this species - its limits and requirements.

So, in the end, no clear answers...just experiments.

:iagree: What works for one person does not always work for the rest. You personally have to find what your plants like and dislike by experimenting.