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Species library › Paphiopedilum › Paphiopedilum niveum
Orchids Well documented

Paphiopedilum niveum

A small, snow-white slipper orchid of limestone cliffs just above sea level on the Langkawi islands and nearby peninsular Thailand. The whole plant is only about 10 cm tall with mottled leaves, and flowers are 5-6 cm across. It is endangered in the wild through over-collection, but grows readily in cultivation if given warmth, shade and a limestone-rich, free-draining medium.

Paphiopedilum niveum
Photo: Dalton Holland Baptista, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets 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

It grows in humus pockets and crevices on limestone cliffs and rocks, often near the sea, in light shade. Records describe it growing on soil on limestone rocks in aggregates.

Mostly just above sea level on coastal limestone; some inland Thai limestone sites are higher, but elevation data are sparse.

Peninsular ThailandPeninsular Malaysia

🔒 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.