Kentucky Wild Cypripedium Orchids

Kentucky Lady's-Slipper

• Native to eastern Kentucky's woodlands at elevations below 1,300 feet, the Kentucky lady's-slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense) is also called the ivory lady's-slipper or purloined moccasin. This orchid grows 1 to 3 feet tall and blooms April through June. It not only exists in Kentucky but in disjunct locations in Virginia, Georgia and across a wide swath of Arkansas, southeastern Oklahoma, extreme eastern Texas and into Louisiana. Kentucky lady's-slipper orchid flowers have spotted reddish-gold sepals and petals, and the lower, larger, slipper-like petal is blushed creamy white.

Pink Lady's-Slipper

• Growing in highly acidic soils in woodlands or sunny meadows and roadside, the pink lady's-slipper (Cypripedium acaule) grows naturally across the eastern half of Kentucky. It's found at elevations lower than 1,300 feet. This ground orchid grows anywhere from 6 to 24 inches tall. Across this orchid's large native range across eastern North America, two flower forms exist: white and pink. The pink flowering form is found in Kentucky. The lower slipper-like petals are medium pink and crinkled. The sienna-green sepals and other petals partially cover the pink slipper. It blooms in April and May.

White Lady's-Slipper

• The white lady's-slipper (Cypripedium candidum) inhabits open meadows and wet prairies. More commonly found in states farther north, an isolated pocket exists across west-central Kentucky, roughly along and to the west of Interstate 65. Maturing only 6 to 16 inches tall, it blooms in April and May. The blossom's upper sepals and petals are green with sienna streaks and spots. The lower slipper-like petal is white.

Large and Small Yellow Lady's-Slippers

• Two forms of the yellow lady's-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) grow in Kentucky. The large yellow lady's-slipper (var. pubescens) and the southern small yellow lady's-slipper (var. parviflorum). The main distinction between the two is the size of the flower, the latter being half as large as the former. The upper petals and sepals are rusty red with green undertones, and the large slipper-like petal pouch is bright yellow. These orchids bloom in mid to late May. The large-flowering types grow in both woodlands and open meadows, while the small type is found mainly on the slopes within woodland habitats.

Showy Pink Lady's-Slipper

• Considered the queen of lady's-slipper orchids is the showy pink lady's-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), since its flowers are so large and boldly colorful. It grows1 to 3 feet tall in moist to wet soils in swamps, bogs or the edges of woodlands. The showy pink lady's-slipper's native range in Kentucky is primarily in the extreme southeastern counties. However, a small pocket exists in the northern tip of the state immediately around Cincinnati. The flower's upper petals and sepals are pure white and the large, swollen lower petal is magenta-pink and fades to pink at the base of the slipper. Find this orchid in bloom from late May into June.