Yellow Lady's Slippers near Lake Huron

 

In June we visited Michigan to see family and friends there.  While in Michigan we went with one of our sons and his wife for a two day drive along the Michigan shore of Lake Huron.  While driving some of the back roads and doing some hiking we were excited to see the Large Yellow Lady's Slipper in several different locations.  We had not seen many orchids yet because of the covid outbreak and so were thankful that we could add these to our list of orchids for 2020.

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens

The Large Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens, is probably the most recognizable of our native orchids and also one of the showiest.  It is very rare in Washington but very common in British Columbia and Alberta, often carpeting an area where it grows.  It is a fairly large plant growing to 60 cm with flowers as large as 15 cm.  The flowers are usually single but can be two or three to a flower spike.  The color of the sepals and petals is quite variable, from a rich chocolate-brown to a greenish-yellow with darker markings, but the pouch or lip is always a rich yellow, sometimes with scarlet marking around the rim or on the inside.

July 8

(Canadian Rockies)

July 10
(Canadian Rockies)