I've decided for my upcoming birthday to order a few Cyps this year. I'm looking at a couple of vendors' lists and of course my eyes are bigger than my bank account. 8) So, I'm going to try to narrow it down to species I would have the most chance of success growing them in the ground in southern Wisconsin. Supposedly our winters get down to -15 to -20 degrees F on average and I would mulch them heavily with oak leaves in chicken wire cages the first few years. I plan to cold store them for the first winter in the fridge and then either pot them up or plant them out in the spring, depending on how mature the plants are when I get them.

Can anyone advise me on which species I'm most likely to have success with? I know for sure I don't have the conditions for acaule. I'm successfully growing pubescens and reginae right now.

Thanks in advance for your sage advice!

Mark

First, check your soil conditions....nutrient levels, and most importantly, pH...next look at your summer temperatures....these are often overlooked...a hot summer can kill (and usually does) far faster than cold winter temps. If your pH is towards neutral, than C. parviflorum and p.pubescens are good bets. If you can also retain moisture, and summers don't get too hot, then C. reginae may do well...but be forwarned, I have learned the hard way that it does not like hot summers. If your soil is acidic, and low fertility, than, believe it or not, acaule may be the best- and easiest- for you....but only if your soil is acidic and infertile, preferably sandy...Take care, Eric

If you are looking for species plants, then since you have a couple of the staples, Cyp kentuckiense is a magnificient plant. If you order from Hillside Nursery they have outstanding quality in the cream-colored morph (see my photo in the gallery). If you would consider hybrids, Gisela is nearly unkillable. I have (accidently) done unspeakable things to them and they just keep coming back with more and more stems. Another hybrid that is a favorite is Philipp. This has an enormous slipper. There are photos of each of these in the gallery as well. Some of the sun-lovers like candidum, andrewsii and favillianum are very nice, but you will likely have to move them a few times over the first two years to get them the conditions they truly like. None of the first few I mentioned have any pH preference as long as it is 6 or above. The last-mentioned sun lovers will not long tolerate anything below 6.8 or so and appreciate some dolomite mixed in.

Ron Burch

Thanks for the tips. My soil is pretty much circumneutral to alkaline and the location these will be planted in is next to a patio with a limestone base. I think I'll give kentuckiense a whirl and possibly a Gisela. Would you recommend planting these as soon as I get them or overwintering them in the fridge? I planted out a couple I got from Cyp Haven last fall and they didn't make it.

Mark

I usually plant as soon as I receive the plants. What was the media you used? Usually if they die over the winter they drown (at least that has been my experience). Getting too dry can also be a problem, but in your area I would think that should not be a problem. The final common problem with death on first winter is too little mulch over the plants. Let me know how you did it last year and I will let you know if anything stands out.

Best,

Ron Burch

I planted them directly in the ground which is a roughly equal mix of existing soil, sand and compost. The growth point was less than an inch from the soil surface. I caged them with chicken wire -- a circle about 18" diameter--and piled in a good 18" of red oak leaves which are nice and sturdy and don't mat down. The plants were literally between my pubescens and reginaes. I waited until I saw the growths of my pubescens emerging before removing the leaves and then I still left a light covering until the weather was relatively stable. The planting bed is a narrow strip with a concrete paver patio on one side and a low, heavily vegetated bank on the other with a north-facing aspect. Overhead shade is from a tall oak and much reflected light comes from the house/windows just north of the patio.

Also, while I have your ear (I really do appreciate all your help!) I was wondering when I should "spread out" my reginaes. I planted the compot essentially straight in the ground and now have four plants in a five inch square area.

>Also, while I have your ear (I really do appreciate all your help!) I was wondering when I should "spread out" my reginaes. I planted the compot essentially straight in >the ground and now have four plants in a five inch square area.

Yes, that is very close for this species. Reginae can grow enormous root systems - more than 36 inches for each root. Some of my first year out seedlings grow roots 8 - 10 inches in length. Also, once they start blooming, each year will see an increased number of stems so each plant needs a lot of room. I would place them at least 10 -12 inches apart so that you do not have to disturb them for a long time - reginae often wont bloom the year after being disturbed. The conditions you are using should be perfect. Make sure they get a good amount of light, especially once they are several years old.

Ron Burch

Yes, the reginaes really surprised me. The spring I bought them and planted them they were between two and three inches tall. They must have spent all summer vigorously growing roots because the next year they shot up to between 12" and 18" and one bloomed! I was expecting to wait for years. I'll be extremely careful when moving them.

I think a few "lesser" plants in my garden are going to have to give up their prime real estate for Cyps now and go play backup singer in a different area. I only ordered three plants this year and I want to put them where I can see them--kentuckiense, parv. var. parv. and Gisela. The last one I really had a struggle with. It's a hybrid so I'm breaking my no-more-hybrids guideline plus it's the same name as one of my mother's less-respectable aquaintances. If she's ever visiting when it's in bloom I'll tell her it's called Goosey.