Orchids of Ontario

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Pink Lady's Slipper: Cypripedium acaule

	Latin: Cypripedium acaule English: Pink Lady's Slipper or Pink Moccasin Flower Bloom: Late May to early July This orchid prefers acid soil. It is usually found in coniferous swamps or bogs but also on dry ground under jack pines. Photographed near Killarney, Ontario June 18, 2011
	These orchids grow on dry hillsides, mostly in calciferous soil. The plants are very small; flower heads are about the size of a little finger. Photographed near Killarney, Ontario June 18, 2011
	A closeup of a flower head, showing the slit opening into the slipper. All other lady's slippers have a round opening.. Photographed near Killarney, Ontario June 18, 2011
	A closeup of a flower head. The slipper is veined pink. The other petals range from purplish-brown to greenish-yellow. Photographed near Killarney, Ontario June 18, 2011
	A clump of pink lady's slippers. Photographed in Torrence Barrens, Ontario June 9, 2016
	A closeup of a seed pod about a month after the flower. The wilted flower is hanging on the right. Hopefully lots more lady's slippers in years to come. Photographed in Torrence Barrens, Ontario July 10, 2016

Ram's Head Lady's Slipper: Cypripedium arietinum

	Latin: Cypripedium arietinum English: Ram's Head Lady's Slipper Bloom: Mid-May to late June This orchid usually grows on dunes or thin soil on bedrock. It likes thin shade under jack or red pines. It has also been found in acid wooded swampland. It usually grows alone or in open groups as in this photo. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2010
	The plants are small, 10 to 20 cm tall, and are challenging to find. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2010
	A closeup of 2 flowers. The flower is thought to look like the head of a charging ram, hence the name. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2010
	A closeup of a flower head. There is usually 1 flower per plant, very rarely 2. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2010
	A closeup of a flower head. There were lots of ram's head lady slippers this year. Photographed at Dorcas Bay, Ontario June 4, 2016
	A closeup of a flower head. I just cannot see that it looks like a ram's head.. Photographed at Dorcas Bay, Ontario June 4, 2016

Large Yellow Lady's Slipper: Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens

Latin: Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens
English: Large Yellow Lady's Slipper
Bloom: Mid-May to mid-July

This orchid is very versatile, growing in full sunshine or shadow, coniferous or deciduous woods, on wet or dry ground, even on the dry, stony roadside. It likes calciferous soil.
It is often found in clumps of up to 50 plants..

Photographed on the Carden Alvar
June 2, 2012

The plants range from 10 to 50 cm tall. The long spiraled petals are usually yellow-green but can be brownish or greenish red so that it is often difficult to tell it apart from the Small Yellow Lady's Slipper.

The hairs on the leaves and stems irritate some people, causing an itchy rash.

The flowers do not have a distinct scent.

Photographed near Lion's Head, Ontario
May 28, 2010

Both plants and flowers of the Large Yellow Lady's Slippers seemed smaller this year, perhaps because it has been much drier this spring.

Photographed at Dorcas Bay, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario
June 4, 2016

Small Yellow Lady's Slipper: Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin

	Latin: Cypripedium parvifloruma var.makasin English: Pind Lady's Slipper Bloom: Late May to early July This orchid prefers slightly more acidic, swampy soil than the Large Yellow Lady's Slipper. It is shorter, 10 to 35 cm, and the flowers are smaller. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2011
	The slipper of the Small Yellow Lady's Slipper is broader and shallower than the Large. The long curled petals are dark purple-mahogany. The Small Yellow Lady's Slipper looks more like the European Yellow Lady's Slipper than the Large does. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2010
	The Small Yellow Lady's Slipper flower has a lovely scent reminiscent of vanilla. Photographed near Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2010
	This group of Small Yellow Lady's Slippers was growing near the Visitors' Centre of the Bruce Peninsula National Park. We did not see as many Small Yellow Lady's Slippers as in 2010 and 2011. Photographed in Tobermory, Ontario May 29, 2010

Showy Lady's Slipper: Cypripedium reginae

Latin: Cypripedium reginae
English: Showy or Queen Lady's Slipper
Bloom: Beginning of June to late July

This orchid grows in swampy or boggy woods, in clearings in cedar swamps, or even in wet ditches beside open roads. The plants, 20 to 80 cm tall, have 1 or 2 flowers.

Like the Yellow Lady's Slipper, hairs on the leaves and stems can irritate the skin, causing an itchy rash.

Photographed in the George Langman Sanctuary, Orillia
July 3, 2013

The slipper of the Showy Lady's Slipper is white with pale pink to deep rose streaks, sometimes so close togeher that it seems to be pink or rose. Rarely it is pure white but cannot be mistaken for the Small White Lady's Slipper because of its size.

The Showy Lady's Slipper flower has a delicate scent.

Photographed in the George Langman Sanctuary, Orillia
July 3, 2013

The Showy Lady's Slipper often has two flowers per stem.

Photographed in the George Langman Sanctuary, Orillia
July 5, 2016

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