Showy Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium reginae)

Showy Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium reginae)

Photo by Carl Wells

Showy lady’s slipper is one of Wisconsin’s rarest native orchids, blooming here in late May. Each flower lasts about a week or two, and a single plant can live for decades—sometimes taking sixteen years just to bloom for the first time. Because it needs cool, saturated wetland soils, it remains almost impossible to transplant and very difficult to grow in gardens. Past over‑collection and habitat loss have reduced populations, so if you’re lucky enough to find one, enjoy it where it stands.

Pollinators—mostly syrphid flies, beetles, and bees—visit its big pink‑and‑white pouch. Plants grow one to three feet tall, with ribbed leaves that clasp the stem and two‑ to three‑inch flowers marked by a pointed upper sepal and fused lateral sepals behind the pouch. You’ll find them in swamps, moist woods, and along streams, usually in filtered light. The glandular hairs can irritate skin, so even handling them takes care. A remarkable plant, best admired in place.

Sources:

USDA Forest Service – Cypripedium reginae (Showy Lady’s Slipper)

Minnesota Wildflowers – Showy Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium reginae)

Illinois Wildflowers – Showy Lady’s Slipper

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Cypripedium reginae

Wisconsin DNR – Native Orchids of Wisconsin: Showy Lady’s Slipper

North American Orchid Conservation Center – Cypripedium reginae: Ecology and Conservation

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