Sign in Start free
Species library › Paphiopedilum › Paphiopedilum papuanum
Orchids Partly documented

Paphiopedilum papuanum

A small, terrestrial slipper orchid with mottled leaves from lower montane forest in New Guinea, known from three widely separated areas at about 800–1,700 m. It is very rare in cultivation, and most plants sold under this name are colour forms of P. violascens. Grow it like other mottled-leaf Paphiopedilum: shaded, intermediate, evenly moist and humid, in a fine bark mix.

At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

It grows in leaf litter and humus-rich soil in lower montane forest, often over limestone or granite, in shaded or partly sunny spots on the forest floor and banks.

It is recorded at about 800–1,700 m in lower montane forest, which gives it warm days and mild nights without real cold.

New Guinea: Western New Guinea (Carstensz area, Arfak Mountains)New Guinea: Papua New Guinea (Southern Highlands)

🔒 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

Grow Paphiopedilum papuanum? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Paphiopedilum

Paphiopedilum insigne Paphiopedilum boxallii Paphiopedilum rothschildianum Paphiopedilum spicerianum Paphiopedilum bellatulum Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum Paphiopedilum micranthum Paphiopedilum delenatii Paphiopedilum philippinense Paphiopedilum stonei Paphiopedilum villosum Paphiopedilum primulinum All 156 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.