Somehow, the beautiful goddess Venus wandered into the northern forests. Tired after a long journey, she decided to give her legs rest, slipped off her shoes, and forgot about them. And they turned into a wonderful flower, called the "Venus slipper."
Description of the origin of this plant, which has won the love of many gardeners, looks like a beautiful fairy tale.
Legend of a Venus Shoe
Indeed, the shape of the cup of the flower is similar in appearance to the shoe, and the petals located nearby resemble velvet ribbons. In Russia, this plant is otherwise called the Mother of God boots, cuckoo shoes; in Europe, they call women’s shoes, and in America - moccasins. Where does the slipper grow? What legends are associated with it?
Ancient mythology says that somehow during a hunt the goddess Venus and Adonis suddenly caught a thunderstorm. The couple in love took refuge in a cave, and Venus left her wet shoes at the entrance. A random traveler passing by did not notice the goddess and her lover, but saw golden shoes on the ground. As soon as he bent down to pick them up, the latter turned into beautiful flowers. The man understood that the gods were resting in the cave, and went on. Since then, a flower - a venus slipper has been growing in forests of extraordinary beauty.
Venus slipper: description
This 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 outlet produces a peduncle to a 40-centimeter height, which can be single or multi-flowered.
The flowers are pollinated by bees and have a very different color: yellow, white, purple, brown or green, and a pleasant vanilla smell complements such an original appearance. Striped and spotted specimens are often found. The stem is often pubescent, can be very short (then a single pair of leaves seems mundane) or high enough with large alternate leaves and 6-12 flowers, the complex structure of which is like a trap. Once inside it, pollinating insects, attracted by the bright color of the flower, can get out through tiny holes in the back wall of the pouch, while the plant is necessarily pollinated. The fertilized venus slipper real slowly begins to fade.
At the end of summer, the ripening of numerous seeds, small as dust. Most of the seed is scattered through the air without ever reaching the surface of the soil. Once in the soil, they will germinate if there are scanty symbionts in it, which penetrate the embryonic tissue and contribute to the formation of sprouts and further development of the plant.
Natural habitat
Fifteen years is required for a venus 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 pose any danger, but on the contrary, it is widespread in folk medicine.
In nature, the slipper plant venereum grows in groups, prefers dimly lit 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 slipper grow? On the territory of Russia in the natural environment, venus slipper is rare. It gained distribution in the Americas, Mongolia, Japan, China (highlands).
Features of cultivation
Venus slipper present has long been adapted to cultural cultivation and requires proper care, as close as possible to natural conditions. The absence of drafts and direct sunlight is an obligatory rule for its qualitative growth. It is advisable to choose a seat in the shade, as the soil is an optimal substrate of a complex composition (moss sphagnum, fine bark, charcoal, chopped walnut shells, chalk or dolomite flour).
For indoor cultivation, you should choose a wide capacity due to the horizontal root system, which is characterized by a venus shoe. The description of the planting process is similar to other indoor plants; at the bottom of the pot you need to put a coarser substrate, and small and moisture-proof - closer to the surface.
Venus slipper: care
Watering the plant is recommended regular and plentiful, causing constant substrate moisture. In summer, moisten the soil often, in winter, during dormancy, less often. Water is recommended at room temperature, and when watering, it should not fall on the base of the stem, in order to prevent its decay. In hot weather, the plant should be often sprayed or artificially raise moisture around it. Top dressing of a venus shoe should be done with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer of low concentration, applied during watering (about 1 time in 2-3 weeks), in winter - once a month.
Breeding
Reproduction of the venereal shoe is carried out by the vegetative method, by dividing the rhizome. The most favorable time for this operation is considered the end of summer - mid-autumn. Part of the rhizome with several daughter buds must be planted in a substrate at a shallow depth, and then sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. In this state, planted orchids survive the winter, and in the spring form new shoots. In winter, it is recommended to cover the landing site of the venus shoe with foam or dry foliage. The venereal shoe is transplanted once every 3 years. It must be done very carefully, eliminating the possibility of damage to the roots, otherwise it can lead to the death of the plant.
Venus slipper, the description of which is interesting to many gardeners, is resistant to disease, but can sometimes be affected by a spider mite or mealy worm.
Venus slipper: on the brink of extinction
The economic activity of a person is badly reflected in nature, including the slipper also suffers from it. The Red Book contains this plant as capable of permanently disappearing from the face of the Earth due to the influence of external factors on it.
Deforestation, land reclamation, and the removal of fertilizers from the fields are the factors that cause the complete disappearance of this amazing creation of nature. If we add to this an irresistible desire to keep this flower as a keepsake, pluck it and take it home, then the eradication of the
forest orchid is accelerated several times. Therefore, all European states carefully protect the slipper venus. The Red Book is a way to protect a plant from its voluntary and involuntary destruction.
Venus slipper: types
The following plant species are most commonly found in nature:
- Venus slipper ordinary. It is characterized by a height of about 50 cm, a horizontal rhizome, large elliptical leaves, the original form of a flower with a bright yellow shoe-shaped lip and brownish bracts. Flowering occurs in July.
- Venus slipper spotted. It is characterized by an original flower of white or pinkish color with dark purple spots.
- Venus slipper large-flowered. It is widely used for breeding hybrids, has large, up to 10 cm in diameter, bright pink flowers. Flowering occurs in May.
Venus slipper is widely used for decoration of garden plots. It looks beautiful in mono-flowers, suitable for decorating shady places where most plants feel uncomfortable. Some species of these orchids can be the highlight of rock gardens.