Pink Lady’s Slippers – Cypripedium acaule

When I’m out photographing wildflowers in the spring and I run into other wildflower lovers – one of the most common questions is – have I seen any lady’s slippers. I’m always torn about whether or not I should share information about when and where I’ve seen them. On the one hand – I love seeing them – and know that others do too. On the other hand – so many have been dug up and stolen from parks that I’m reluctant to share the info – just in case the person I’m talking to is looking to steal them. So what I end up doing is only sharing the info on when/where I find them with people I know.

Varieties of pink lady’s slippers (cypripedium acaule) can be found throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada. They are considered endangered or threatened in Illinois, Tennessee, and New York. The biggest threats to the Pink Lady’s Slippers are loss of habitat and harvesting of wild plants for sale. Since the lady’s slippers require very specific growing conditions – harvested wild plants rarely survive when transplanted.

I’ve been fortunate to find some lovely pink lady’s slippers over the past few years. The photos in this blog post are of blossoms found in Georgia, Tennessee and Maine. I hope you’ll understand why I’m not being any more specific than this for where I found them.

Pink Lady’s Slippers have a very distinctive look. Members of the orchid family, they grow to between 8 and 16 inches tall with a pink inflated slipper-like lip petal, red veins and a fissure down the front. It has two basal leaves – oblong with pointed tips.

 

Lady Slipper’s grow in many environements – shade/partly shade. Some prefer moist soil – other prefer dry conditions.

Known also as moccasin flowers, lady’s slippers get their name from an incorrect Latinization of the Greek word for Venus’ shoes.

Pink Lady’s Slippers were used for several medicinal purposes. The roots have been used to treat everything from menstrual pain to kidney issues. It has been used to treat bites of mad dogs and as a love potion. And when taken with whiskey – it supposedly was used to treat general ailments. As always – please do not use this information about traditional uses as a recommendation of any plants for medicinal use.

If you would like more information about Pink Lady’s Slippers – additional online information is available at

 

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Mountain Wild Flowers of America

Native American Ethnobotany

USDA Plant Profile

UW Stevens Point Database