Phragmipedium kovachii, aka PK
Can you believe that scientists didn’t discover this large purple flower until the 21st century? Phragmipedium kovachii, conveniently abbreviated as PK, hid in the Peruvian Amazon until 2001. After their discovery, it took several years for plants to legally enter cultivation, and now they’re starting to appear at orchid shows. Dave and I found this gorgeous lady slipper making its debut at last weekend’s Pacific Orchid Expo. This remarkable flower was almost 6 inches (15 cm) wide; some PK blooms can be as large as 9 inches (23 cm.)
Orchid pros consider PK the most exciting discovery of the past hundred years. The brilliant, oversize blossoms on these Paph relatives can make any flower lover swoon. However, the species requires precise watering and potting conditions, and it’s difficult to grow. Fortunately, hybrids are easier to grow, and some crosses are already entering the market. They’ll bring traits of this magnificent flower into more common cultivation. Hybrids will also lower prices. At the show, some of these seedlings cost $150 each. In coming years, hardier and more affordable varieties will reveal some of PK’s mysteries from deep in the Amazon.
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March 8th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Wow, what an amazing orchid! Those big petals remind me of an elephant. Incredible that it was just recently discovered.
March 9th, 2011 at 10:34 am
that flower is just incredible! imagine if it had been a 9-incher!!
March 9th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Great post Marc! It’s *such* a beauty.
And I’m a little jealous beause I still haven’t seen one yet. I have an Emuelia Arias (kovachii x schlimii) seedling and it’s the most high-maintenance plant in my collection. It’s very sensitive to over-feeding, need high-quality water, lots of light, and they like a dolomite lime or oyster shell top-dressing every few months. I paid a lot for it on the hope that someday it will show up like the flowers featured in your post. Someday…
you can see my initial purchase here: http://catsandcatts.blogspot.com/2010/02/more-watering-days-and-other-things.html
March 13th, 2011 at 7:36 am
My orchid is full of budds but before they open they fall off. The excisting
flowers are perfect but not one budd has opened yet. What must I do?
March 13th, 2011 at 6:27 pm
To Gail: when buds are dying prematurely, common problems to investigate include overwatering, underwatering, allowing the pot to sit in water, cold temps, or low humidity. It will help to ID your orchid so you can figure out its proper care conditions.
March 13th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
[…] Sure, there are standouts like this incredible lady slipper […]
April 2nd, 2011 at 10:21 am
$150 for a seedling! That’s way more than I can afford. At least I can dream and enjoy your photos too 🙂
May 9th, 2011 at 12:48 am
Wow, and what a bloom it is! Sort of looks like Dumbo the elephant? Can’t wait to see more of these.
May 20th, 2011 at 9:49 am
[…] The article includes info about several orchids, including Phrag kovachii, the giant purple lady slipper discovered in Peru in 2001. […]
July 30th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
What a stunning flower! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. I can only imagine how it would be full-sized (since you said this was on the “small” side)! Maybe someday in the future I’ll be able to afford one of them…
Thank you.
August 10th, 2011 at 12:34 am
THX that’s a great flower!