Lady’s Slipper is an interesting wildflower in the Orchid Family! They are endangered in some areas because they take a long time to grow, and beacause people collect them.
This plant only has two leaves. They are green and branch out from the center of the plant. A single flower stalk also grows from the center.
The flowers, which many people say looks like a slipper, grows about three inches long. Unlike most flowers you see, this flower is closed tightly except for a small opening in the front.
Lady Slippers grow in shady forests under pine trees, oaks, Red Maple and Sweetgum.
They are a food source for several insects and white-tailed deer!
Most people enjoy seeing these beautiful flowers. Unfortunately, this means many people try to collect them for the wild to have as their own. Since the flower takes many years to grow, if too many people take them, they cannot survive in the wild. Many people are trying to protect Lady’s Slippers, and in most places it is now illegal to remove them from their existing habitats. Just look don’t touch!!
Lady Slippers are the state flower for Minnesota!