Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) – Delicate Beauty in the Woods
Did you Know?
It is also known as the Moccasin Flower.
The Latin name means “stem less” referring to the leafless flowering stem.
It is the provincial flower of Prince Edward Island.
It blooms between May and July.
Photo: Brian Popelier(2015)
Habitat – Flourishes in wet swamps and dry or moist forests, usually under pine or oak trees.
Size – Can grow up to 38 cm high.
Range – All Canadian provinces except British Columbia and throughout the eastern United States.
Status – Ontario Status: S5, Secure. Canadian Status: Secure.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
Identification:
These orchids have two large, oval basil leaves with distinct veins running parallel to the edges. Its most distinguishing feature is the large pink pouch which forms the flower. The flower is almost always pink but there is a rare white form. The plant has an erect stem arising from between the two leaves with the flower situated at the top. The stem and flower are covered in small hairs.
Photo: Brian Popelier (2015)
Interesting Facts
The tubers or root are regarded as having medicinal value. The root was used in traditional medicine as a remedy for nervousness, tooth pain, and muscle spasms. In the 1800s and 1900s it, and other orchids, were widely used by European settlers as a substitute for the European plant Valerian for sedative properties.
In order to survive and reproduce, pink lady's slipper interacts with a fungus in the soil from the Rhizoctonia genus in a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. The Pink lady’s slipper seeds require the fungus to pass food and nutrients to them. This is done as threads from the fungus break open the seed and attach to it. As the orchid gets older and begins to produce its own food the favour is returned and the fungus then extracts food and nutrients from the orchid.
Bees are also an important factor in the survival of this orchid. The sweet smelling flower attracts bees to enter the pouch and once inside they get trapped. The only route out is past the stamens inside the flower and when the insect passes through the pollen attaches to it. As the insect visits another orchid the pollen is then passed on to another plant.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]
The Pink Lady’s Slipper on the Niagara Escarpment
Although populations are stable in Ontario this plant may be difficult to find as along the Bruce Trail it is often found in swampy forests and not in the dryer deciduous forests traversed by the trail. This orchid has only been recorded on two BTC managed properties but if you keep your eyes open you may spot a flash of pink in the green and brown understories of the Escarpment.
If you happen to come across this orchid, please avoid stepping near or touching it. Most orchids have shallow, extensive and sensitive root systems with delicate flowers and stems that are easily damaged. Also, many orchids along the Bruce Trail take 10-16 years to reach flowering size; picking up or digging them up is not only illegal, but it prevents them from reproducing and it will die.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy is continually acquiring and protecting land along the Niagara Escarpment, including shady forested areas which provide a perfect habitat for this orchid. Be sure to look out for this very beautiful species.
The Bruce Trail Conservancy | PO Box 857 Hamilton, ON L8N 3N9 | 1.800.665.4453 | [email protected]