Are Orchids Perennials?

Lady's Slipper

• Few woodland flowers are as showy as lady's slippers, members of the genus Cypripedium. These perennial orchids grow best in moist, well-drained soil and partial shade. Each plant sends up a single flower stalk between long, strap-like leaves. When well-sited, lady's slippers send out rhizomes to form dense clumps. The early summer flowers are small but showy, with an enlarged, pouch-like bottom petal (the slipper). Commonly available species are the pink lady's slipper (C. acaule), the yellow lady's slipper (C. calceolus) and the showy lady's slipper (C. reginae). Hardiness depends on species, but there are lady's slippers native to all of the continental United States and Canada except Nevada and Florida, in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 through 8.

Chinese Ground Orchids

• With flowers similar to the tropical Cattleya orchid, the Chinese ground orchid, Bletilla striata, adds a touch of the tropics to shady gardens. Grow them in rich, well-drained soil in a sheltered, partially shaded spot. They're cold-hardy to zone 6, or to zone 5 with extra winter protection and some luck. The Chinese ground orchid has 2-inch pinkish-purple flowers in late spring or early summer. There is a white-flowered form, Bletilla striata "Alba."

Grass Pinks

• Native to eastern North America, Calopogon tuberosus, known as grass pinks, are wetland orchids requiring constant moisture. In return, they'll thrive in full sun, an unusual trait for orchids. Four to 12 pink, butterfly-shaped flowers are borne on an arching stem in midsummer. Grass pinks require boggy, acidic soil to thrive. They're hardy from zone 2 to zone 10.

Stream Orchids

• Stream orchids (Epipactis gigantea) are good plants for transition areas that experience periodic wetness but also have dry spells. They're native in zones 3 through 9 and are found throughout western North America from Texas to British Columbia. Thumbnail-sized pink-and-yellow flowers are clustered at the ends of long stems and bloom in spring. These sweet orchids are perfect for naturalizing in woodland gardens and along streams and ponds.

Acquiring Perennial Orchids

• Although you may find orchids in the woods and grasslands near your home, resist the urge to dig them up and carry them home. Many orchids are on endangered species lists, so their removal is illegal; in addition, orchids are so site-specific that they rarely transplant well when removed from the wild. You'll have much better luck buying specimens from suppliers who propagate them responsibly, as these nursery-grown plants adapt more easily to home landscapes. Seeds for some types of hardy orchids are available from online suppliers.