I don't grow a lot of Paphiopedilums, but only for lack of space. I find their variety and strange forms very attractive, and Paph. venustum represents all that I love about them. It is a smallish plant with beautifully mottled leaves, as is evident in some of the photos, and has one of the most beautiful pouches in the genus, a lovely green with darker green veining.
The plant grows well for me on a bathroom windowsill where it receives diffused light from a southern exposure and it blooms faithfully every year. The fan of leaves is about 30 cm across and the single-flowered spikes are a little less than 30 cm tall. On my plant the petals are strongly reflexed, making the flowers look like they are flying.
