Lady's slipper orchid

The Gardner Museum grows many varieties of Paphiopedilum orchids in a wide spectrum of colors from neon yellow to a deep, metallic mauve. Some of these orchids have been in the Museum's living collection since at least the 1960s. Lady slippers have two opposite leaves, and a large pouch-shaped lip that serves as a landing pad for pollinators. They thrive in a bright, but shaded location in the greenhouses with lots of airflow. Repotted annually, they are the most reliable orchids in the Gardner collection, nearly all blooming each winter.