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Lady's-Slipper

Lady's-Slipper

Cypripedium calceolus

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How common: Fairly rare

Lady’s-slipper is a large, showy wild orchid of Europe and northern Asia. Its big yellow “slipper” flower with brown side parts stands out when in bloom. It grows in lime‑rich woods, edges and fens.

Did you know?

  • Protected throughout Finland, including Åland.
  • Classified as Vulnerable in Finland.

About the species

Identification

Stout, upright plant 20–50 cm tall. Stem has 3–6 large, broad oval leaves that clasp the stem. Usually one flower per stem (sometimes 2–3). The flower is up to about 10 cm across: a bright yellow, inflated pouch like a little slipper, with long brown to dark red side parts; faint sweet scent. After flowering it forms a narrow dry seed case a few centimetres long. Hard to confuse: among our orchids it’s the only one with a yellow slipper‑like pouch. Contact may irritate skin—avoid handling. Flowers in Finland in June–July, around Midsummer in the south and in July in the north.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

herb-rich forest, meadow, mire

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Needs lime‑rich, slightly moist ground. Found in half‑shade or sun at woodland edges, rich woods, calcareous meadows, and rich fens and swamps. Occurs from lowlands to mountain areas across Europe and northern Asia. Scattered on lime‑rich areas; strongest in Peräpohjola and the Kuusamo region, elsewhere rare. In the north it often grows on fens.

Sources

Photo: Jakob Jilg, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cypripedium calceolus inflorescence.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Kasvitieteen retkeily Ahvenanmaalle - Nåtön biologinen asema, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40028

Text: Pinkka: PBIO-178 Suomen uhanalaiset kasvit - Carex-Cypripedium, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40028

Text: Pinkka: IPS-178 Suomen uhanalaiset kasvit - Carex-Cypripedium. Lähteet: Vuokko, S. 1998: Orchidaceae. – Retkeilykasvio. 4 p. Kasvimuseo. Erävuori, L. 1998: Tikankontin suojelutilanne Perä-Pohjolassa. – Metsähallituksen Luonnonsuojelujulkaisuja Sarja A(92): 1–60., CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40028

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Carex, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40028

Text: Pinkka (Luomus), CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40028

Text: Pinkka: BIO-513 Syventävä putkilokasvituntemus - Conium-Epilobium, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40028

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehtotikankontti

See also