Keep Your Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' Alive: Light, Water & Care Instructions

Paphiopedilum 'Purple King'

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Paphiopedilum callosum 'Purple King'

Genus

Paphiopedilum

Family

Orchidaceae

Order

Asparagales

How to care for Paphiopedilum 'Purple King'

💦 Water

How often to water your Paphiopedilum 'Purple King'

Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' in your home

Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' can tolerate being far from a window and light source.

Place it less than 6 feet from a south-facing window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Paphiopedilum 'Purple King'

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Paphiopedilum 'Purple King': repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

GUYS 😭 I was walking around my room doing a growth check (yes, with my turbie twist on 🧖‍♀️ lol), and went over to the lil orchid babies and saw a new leaf on one! So of course I excitedly ran my finger over it and (embarrassingly) started congratulating Leilani and telling her I was proud of her, and that’s when I suddenly realized… IT’S NOT A LEAF, IT’S THE START OF A SPIKE (!!!) and I suddenly lost all brain functioning for about 2 minutes while chaotically repeating “oh my god, oh my god” and attempted to record a video explaining why this was such a huge deal for me. (P.S. — Let’s be thankful that we can’t upload videos to Greg for now, because some things are better left unseen lmao.) This freaking orchid… I’ve put her through hell. I accidentally overfertilized and burned her less than 2 weeks after getting her in March of this year. After nursing her back to health, I then stressed her out again when I moved in May. I got her as a younger orchid, so I’ve never seen her bloom irl (although I’ve seen pictures 🥵). In fact, none of my orchids have bloomed yet, I’m definitely a #NewPlantParent when it comes to orchids. Even though #Paphiopedilum orchids are terrestrial and moisture-loving, I’ve been doing a shitty job maintaining her watering schedule. TL;DR — She’s not only survived in spite of me, but my “problem” orchid just happens to be the first that will (hopefully) bloom! What are the chances?! 🥳 In case you can’t tell, I’m really f*cking excited. Brain still not fully recovered from the surge of glee. Geez, nature is pretty cool dude! 🌸 #OrchidLovers #OrchidOrg #RareOrchid #ResilientPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy #NewGrowth #PlantTherapy #PlantShelfie

💡 FAQs

💦 Water Needs

Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' can tolerate being far from a window and light source. Place it less than 6 feet from a south-facing window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

🪴 Soil

Paphiopedilum 'Purple King' does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Paphiopedilum 'Purple King', since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.