America's Orchids - Showy Lady's Slipper

The showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae) is a US native that is found growing in the wild in damp, forested lowlands. The showy lady's slipper is an Orchidaceae (Orchid Family) that can produce multiple stalks reaching up to 3 feet in height.

Look for this colorful plant in areas that provide the shade and cooler temperatures it needs to thrive throughout the entire northeastern United States from Maine west to Minnesota, south to Arkansas, and east to North Carolina

The flower, as you might suspect, is very lovely with pure white petals and sepals, a 2 inch pouch that can be a rosy deep pink to red on the outside and purple inside, and a staminode that displays soft yellow highlights. Blooms arrive in May and last until the end of August, depending on the local weather conditions. There can be up to three flowers per stalk.

The wild flower has been picked too often by flower enthusiasts and is classified as threatened or endangered in many parts of the United States. In most areas, it is illegal to pick wild flowers. Showy lady's slipper is available in the trade. The plant is hardy in Zones 3 to 6. It is possible to stretch up to Zone 2 with a heavy winter mulch and to south to Zone 7 if there is enough moisture and shading. The planting location should have a neutral soil pH, 2-3 hours a day of either morning or afternoon sun, and at least partial shade for the rest of the daylight hours. This is a forest native.

One place to see the orchid in its natural habitat is the Thorne Swift Nature Preserve‎ located at 6696 Lower Shore Drive in Harbor Springs, Michigan. ‎There are 30 acres of preserved land about 5 miles west of town. The showy lady's slipper is also at home in bogs, fens, and swamps dominated by pine trees.

The stalks of the showy lady's slipper are quite thick and covered with hair. Some people are sensitive to the hairs on the heavily ribbed, leafy foliage and can develop a rash through direct contact.

Sources
Cypripedium reginae, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CYRE6

Michigan: The Spirit of the Land, by Kathy-Jo Wargin with photos by Ed Wargin, Voyageur Press, Inc. 1999, p 21.
Cypripedium reginae Walter, Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium, http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=CYPREG

Vermont LadySlipper Company, http://www.vtladyslipper.com/vtlscwebpg3REG.html