Lady's Slipper Flower Information

Identification

• Lady's slipper, Cypripedium acaule, grows on a single stem that reaches a height of 6 to 15 inches. This orchid produces a single, 3-inch flower with a slipper-like appearance in May and June. The leaves grow out of the base of the stem, instead of near the flower. There are rarely two flowers growing on one stem. The flowers are red and brown in color with red veins that run down the front of the bloom. While rare, some flowers may be white and green with no red veins.

Habitat

• This variety of orchid grows in sandy and rocky wooded areas. The plant tolerates both dry and moist soils, depending on the environment. It is common for the lady's slipper roots to attach to dead oak or pine trees rotting into the surrounding soil. The plant pulls nutrients from the decomposing trees. In some areas, a large number of sphagnum fern plants will grow around this variety of orchid. Lady's slippers prefer shaded or filtered light, under a canopy of trees. Bright sunlight burns the plant leaves and flowers.

Transplanting

• The lady's slipper grows wild in wooded areas and does not transplant well into home gardens. This orchid variety requires a special rhizoctonia fungus in the soil to grow properly and propagate naturally. The fungus provides nutrients to the lady's slipper seed, helping it grow into a new plant. Soil taken from the native growing area does not provide enough fungus for plant viability.

Uses

• Lady's slipper has properties that make it useful as a sedative and nerve medicine. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the medicinal properties come from the dried root crushed into a powder. Don't take the lady's slipper powder as a supplement, unless directed by your physician.

Warning

• The lady's slipper has small hairs on the stem and leaves that may cause an allergic reaction or skin irritation in some people. An itchy rash, similar to poison ivy, appears immediately after skin contact with the plant. The toxic chemicals that cause the irritation are unknown.