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Species library › Paphiopedilum › Paphiopedilum helenae
Orchids Well documented

Paphiopedilum helenae

The smallest species of Paphiopedilum, a lithophyte on steep limestone cliffs in far northern Vietnam (Cao Bằng) and adjacent southern China. It has a few stiff, succulent leaves and single glossy yellow-brown flowers 5–6 cm across in late summer and autumn. Grow it like other northern Vietnamese limestone paphs: bright shade, warm humid summers, a cool drier winter and a well-drained mix with limestone.

Paphiopedilum helenae
Photo: 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

Grows on steep, eroded limestone cliffs, often north-facing, in primary mixed and coniferous, semi-deciduous and open broadleaf dry forest. Roots run in thin humus and moss in cracks of the rock.

100–900 m according to orchidspecies.com; GBIF specimens with elevations are from 550–740 m.

VietnamChina Southeast

🔒 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.