Start growing
Extremely difficult. Never transplant from the wild. Needs highly specific acidic conditions.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Orchid
Cypripedium acaule
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Orchid care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Cypripedium acaule
- Common names
- Pink Lady’s Slipper, Moccasin Flower
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Cypripedium
- Species
- C. acaule
Growing with your kit
The Seeds In A Cup® kit features a 'Symbiotic Starter' medium to teach students about the complex fungi-plant connection.
Propagation
By seed (complex lab process) or division of established clumps.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Requires a symbiotic relationship with specific soil fungi (mycorrhizae) to germinate and survive.
Growing conditions
Acidic, pine-heavy woodlands and bogs.
Weather & tolerances
High cold tolerance; zero pollution or fertilizer tolerance.
Pests & plant health
Deer and habitat loss.
Plant safety
Hairs on stems can cause skin irritation similar to poison ivy.
Botanical features
A rare and beautiful terrestrial orchid with two large base leaves and a single, balloon-like pink flower.
Varieties
Generally growing the wild native species.
Garden & everyday uses
National treasure. symbolic of the delicate balance of the forest ecosystem
Native range & distribution
Native to Eastern North America.
Conservation
Protected; it is illegal to harvest from public lands in many states.
Name origins
From 'Kypris' (Venus) and 'pedilon' (slipper); ‘acaule’ meaning stemless.
History
Indigenous legend says the flower represents a young girl's moccasins left behind as she ran for medicine for her tribe.