Orchids of Bruce Peninsula – part 2
I was saying earlier that one could spot quite a few Cypripedium spp.- Lady’s slippers, at Singing Sands National Park in Bruce Peninsula, Ontario. Tread lightly on the trails, watch carefully and maybe you’ll even meet the lady’s slippers fairy from the image above.
Cypripedium reginae – Showy lady’s slipper; it is usually found in fens and swamps and it’s easy to recognize after the bright pink slipper with a round opening. The pink blushing of the pouch can vary greatly in the populations, from deep pink to even, in rare cases, ‘albino’ individuals. Beautifully ribbed, wide leaves. Click on the galleries to open the full size images.
Cypripedium arietinum – Ram’s head. Easily recognisable after the unusual shape of the slipper (lip), which also has reddish reticulations. It is flowering a bit earlier than C. reginae and parviflorum, so a visit in late May is advisable.
Cypripedium parviflorum – Yellow lady’s slipper; it is an extremely variable species in regards to flower size and colours. Currently there are 3 varieties recognized in Flora of North America. Personally, I can say that plants growing on drier sites have the slipper usually yellow and larger than those growing in wet habitats (most likely with reddish slipper).
I would strongly advise everyone with the desire and intention of growing orchids in their garden to try to see them first in their native habitat. High prices, of any orchids, are rightly justified by the difficulty to propagate them (mainly in vitro) and the length of time necessary to obtain a flowering size plant (5-7 years). There are many hybrids in cultivation today, which besides interesting flower colours, are said to be more adaptable and faster growing in garden conditions.
If you want to give them a try, a few native orchid species, hybrids and non-native spp., are available at Lost Horizons in Acton, Ontario and also at Fraser’s Thimble Farms from BC.
Oh, what a beautiful post! We have some natives here in PA that I plan to add to my garden this year. Now I feel like Cinderella
Thanks. We are just about to get a lot of the ‘white mulch’ you were talking about – I’m sure all the Cyps are happy about it!
They are totally addictive Gabi! I started with C.reginae, added C.calceolaris and will be coming by for C.formosanum this coming season! There is nothing else quite like them in the world. Do I feel Spring in the air?
Yes they are; it’s quite nothing like it when you see them growing ‘wild’! By the look of my first seedlings, feels like spring. I went a bit overboard this year- I may have to share some