Venerin slipper: description, tips for growing

Somehow the beautiful goddess Venus wandered into the northern forests. Tired after a long journey, I decided to rest my legs, threw off my shoes, and forgot about them. And they turned into a wonderful flower, called "Venus shoe." The description of the origin of this plant, which has won the love of many florists, looks like a beautiful fairy tale.

The Legend of the Venus Slipper

Indeed, the shape of the flower cup is externally similar to the shoe, and the nearby petals resemble velvet ribbons. In Russia this plant is called the God-bearing boots, cuckoo's shoes; In Europe they call women's shoes, and in America - moccasins. Where does the Venus slipper grow? What legends are associated with it?

Ancient mythology tells us that somehow during the hunt the goddess Venus and Adonis suddenly found a thunderstorm. The couple in love took refuge in the cave, and Venus left her wet shoes at the entrance. Passing by an accidental traveler did not notice the goddess and her lover, but saw on the ground golden shoes. As soon as he bent down to pick them up, the latter turned into beautiful flowers. The man understood that the gods rest in the cave, and went on. Since then, in the forests, an extraordinary flower grows - a Venus shoe.

Venerin slipper: description

It is a herbaceous perennial plant of the Orchid family, numbering more than fifty species. The color of the leaves is green, dark green or grayish-marble with a length of about 30 centimeters. Each leaf rosette lets out on one 40-centimeter height one tsvetonos which happens one-or many-flowered. Flowers pollinated by bees and have a variety of colors: yellow, white, purple, brown or green, and a pleasant vanilla smell complements so original appearance. Striped and spotty specimens are often found. The stem is often pubescent, it can be very short (then the only pair of leaves seem to be near the ground) or high enough with large regular leaves and 6-12 flowers, the complex structure of which is like a trap. Getting inside it, insect pollinators attracted by the bright color of the flower, can get out through the tiny holes in the back of the bag, it is necessary to pollute the plant. The fertilized Venus shoe is beginning to slowly fade. At the end of the summer, many seeds are ripening, small as dust. Most seed is dispersed through the air, and not reaching the surface of the soil. Those caught in the soil will germinate under the condition that it contains scanty fungi-symbionts that penetrate into the tissues of the embryo and promote the formation of sprouts and the further development of the plant.

Occurrence in natural conditions

Fifteen years are required for a venereal shoe in order to please the surrounding world with its flowering. As a protection against the likelihood of being eaten by some herbivorous animal, the flower uses caustic and poisonous juice. For a person, it does not present any danger, but on the contrary - it is widely spread in folk medicine.

In nature, the plant Venus shoe grows in groups, prefers low-lighted places, located among mosses and in the shade of trees. Also, the flower is comfortable on river cliffs and in ravines, in coniferous and mixed forests on well-moistened, lime-rich lands. Where does the Venus slipper grow? On the territory of Russia in a natural environment the Venus shoe is rare. Its distribution was in the Americas, Mongolia, Japan, China (mountainous areas).

Features of cultural cultivation

Venerin's shoe has long been adapted to cultural cultivation and requires proper care, as close to natural conditions as possible. Absence of drafts and direct sunlight is an obligatory rule for its qualitative growth. It is desirable to choose a landing site in the shade, as a soil, the substrate of a complex composition (moss sphagnum, small crust, charcoal, shredded walnut shells, chalk or dolomite flour) is optimal .

For room cultivation, you should choose a wide container due to the horizontal root system, which is characterized by the Venus shoe. Description of the planting process is similar to other indoor plants; It is necessary to place a coarser substrate on the bottom of the pot, while a shallow and moisture-absorbing substrate is closer to the surface.

Venerin slipper: care

Watering the plant is recommended regular and abundant, causing a constant moisture substrate. Summer moistens the soil often, in winter, during rest, less often. Water is recommended at room temperature, and when watering it should not fall on the base of the stem, in order to avoid its decay. In hot weather, the plant should often be sprayed or artificially raised around it moisture. Top dressing of the venereal slipper should be made with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer of low concentration, introduced during irrigation (approximately once in 2-3 weeks), in winter - once a month.

Reproduction

Reproduction of the venereal slipper is performed in a vegetative way, by dividing the rhizome. The most favorable time for this operation is the end of summer - the middle of autumn. Part of the rhizome with several daughter buds is required to be planted in the substrate at a shallow depth, then sprinkle with a thin layer of earth. In this state planted orchids will survive the winter, and in spring they form new shoots. For winter, it is recommended to cover the place of landing of the venereal shoe with foam or dry foliage. Transplantation of the venereal slipper is performed every 3 years. Produce it must be very careful, excluding the possibility of damage to the roots, otherwise it can lead to the death of the plant.

Venerin's slipper, the description of which is interesting to many growers, is resistant to diseases, but can sometimes be affected by a spider mite or mealy worm.

Venerin slipper: on the verge of extinction

The economic activity of a person is bad for nature, including the slipper of a slender woman. The Red Book contains this plant as capable of forever disappearing from the face of the Earth due to the influence of external factors on it. Deforestation, land reclamation, demolition of fertilizers from fields are the factors that cause the disappearance of this amazing creation of nature. If you add to this an irresistible desire to leave this flower to your memory, tear it and take it home, then the eradication of the forest orchid is accelerated at times. Therefore, all European states carefully protect the Venus shoe. The Red Book is a way to protect the plant from its free and involuntary destruction.

Venus shoe: types

In nature, the most common types of plants are:

• Venus is an ordinary slipper. It is characterized by a height of about 50 cm, a horizontal rhizome, large leaves of elliptical shape, an original flower with a bright yellow slippery lip and brownish bracts. Flowering occurs in July.
• Venus is a spotted slipper. Characterized by an original white or pinkish flower with dark purple spots.
• Venus shoe large-flowered. Widely used for breeding hybrids, it has large, up to 10 cm in diameter, bright pink flowers. Flowering occurs in May.

Venus shoe is widely used for decorating garden areas. It looks beautiful in monochrome, suitable for decorating shady places, where most plants feel uncomfortable. Some species of these orchids can become a highlight of rock gardens.