Pink Lady's Slipper
Cypripedium acaule
Also listed as Cypripedium hirsutum, Fissipes acaulis
Also known as Pink Ladyslipper, Moccasin Flower, Pink Lady's-slipper Orchid
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A delicate native orchid with distinctive pink pouched flowers that emerge in spring from a single pair of leaves. Notoriously difficult to cultivate outside its natural woodland habitat and requires precise conditions to thrive.
Why grow it
Pink lady's slipper offers ornamental value as a native woodland orchid with distinctive pink pouched flowers unavailable in most cultivated ornamentals. Unlike hybrid orchids, it provides ecological benefit by supporting native pollinators adapted to its flower structure. It serves primarily as a landscape specimen for established woodland gardens rather than as a general-purpose ornamental.
Watch out for
This species depends on a specific fungal partner (mycorrhizal association) for nutrient uptake, making establishment from seed or division unpredictable in typical garden soil. Transplanting wild-collected plants is ineffective and ecologically harmful; nursery-propagated specimens have better establishment rates but still require consistent moisture and well-draining acidic soil. The plant takes several years to reach flowering size and may decline if relocated or if soil conditions drift away from its preferred moist, leafy woodland composition.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Orchidaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Eastern North America
Native to: Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A delicate native orchid with distinctive pink pouched flowers that emerge in spring from a single pair of leaves. Notoriously difficult to cultivate outside its natural woodland habitat and requires precise conditions to thrive.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Pink Lady's Slipper grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Pink lady's slipper offers ornamental value as a native woodland orchid with distinctive pink pouched flowers unavailable in most cultivated ornamentals. Unlike hybrid orchids, it provides ecological benefit by supporting native pollinators adapted to its flower structure. It serves primarily as a landscape specimen for established woodland gardens rather than as a general-purpose ornamental.
Watch out for
This species depends on a specific fungal partner (mycorrhizal association) for nutrient uptake, making establishment from seed or division unpredictable in typical garden soil. Transplanting wild-collected plants is ineffective and ecologically harmful; nursery-propagated specimens have better establishment rates but still require consistent moisture and well-draining acidic soil. The plant takes several years to reach flowering size and may decline if relocated or if soil conditions drift away from its preferred moist, leafy woodland composition.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Orchidaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Eastern North America
Native to: Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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