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Species library › Paphiopedilum › Paphiopedilum dianthum
Orchids Well documented

Paphiopedilum dianthum

A multi-flowered lithophytic slipper orchid from the limestone mountains of south-western China and northern Vietnam. It has 4-6 thick leathery leaves and arching spikes of up to 80 cm carrying 2-5 flowers with long, twisted, pendulous petals. It grows on steep rocks and shaded limestone cliffs at 1,000-2,300 m and wants intermediate temperatures, bright shade and a cooler, drier winter.

Paphiopedilum dianthum
Photo: Orchi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Flora of China records it on steep rocks in evergreen broad-leaved forest and on shaded limestone cliffs. Herbarium labels include 'on cliff under woods by hill'. Its restricted, fragmented populations are threatened by poaching and habitat loss.

1,000-2,300 m in China; Vietnamese specimens are labelled 800-1,470 m.

China (Yunnan)China (Guangxi)China (Guizhou)VietnamLaos

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.