Yellow Lady's Slipper
Cypripedium parviflorum
Also listed as Calceolus parviflorus, Criosanthes parviflora
Also known as Yellow Ladyslipper, Lesser Yellow Lady's Slipper, Small Yellow Lady's-slipper
Climate Match for your location
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Yellow lady's slipper is a native orchid with distinctive pouch-shaped flowers in bright yellow. It prefers cool, moist woodland conditions and is slow-growing but long-lived once established.
Why grow it
Yellow lady's slipper offers ornamental value as a native woodland orchid with minimal pest and disease pressure compared to many cultivated ornamentals. It tolerates shade and moist soils better than most flowering perennials, making it suitable for difficult woodland edges and stream banks where other plants struggle. Once acclimated to site conditions, it requires little maintenance or amendment beyond initial establishment care.
Watch out for
This species is slow to establish from seed and may take several years to reach flowering size, so patience is essential. Collection from the wild remains common and problematic for wild populations, so sourcing from legitimate nurseries is important. Site preparation matters significantly: poor drainage or unsuitable soil chemistry can lead to years without visible progress even when the plant survives.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Orchidaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Eastern North America
Native to: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, 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
Yellow lady's slipper is a native orchid with distinctive pouch-shaped flowers in bright yellow. It prefers cool, moist woodland conditions and is slow-growing but long-lived once established.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Yellow 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
Yellow lady's slipper offers ornamental value as a native woodland orchid with minimal pest and disease pressure compared to many cultivated ornamentals. It tolerates shade and moist soils better than most flowering perennials, making it suitable for difficult woodland edges and stream banks where other plants struggle. Once acclimated to site conditions, it requires little maintenance or amendment beyond initial establishment care.
Watch out for
This species is slow to establish from seed and may take several years to reach flowering size, so patience is essential. Collection from the wild remains common and problematic for wild populations, so sourcing from legitimate nurseries is important. Site preparation matters significantly: poor drainage or unsuitable soil chemistry can lead to years without visible progress even when the plant survives.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Orchidaceae
Native to the United States
Native Range
Eastern North America
Native to: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, 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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