529 views, 12 features, 14 favorites, 3 challenge wins – May 2012

Antrim County, Michigan, USA
Canon T2i
Sigma 105mm

It rained all day, but that didn’t stop me from hunting for wildflowers! What a find! I was absolutely thrilled to discover just 5 of these rare beauties growing along a trail I often travel while looking for wildflowers and animals. These are the first Showy Lady’s Slippers I’ve ever seen in the wild.

The Showy Lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), also known as the Pink-and-white Lady’s-slipper or the Queen’s Lady’s-slipper, is a rare terrestrial temperate lady’s-slipper orchid native to northern North America.

Despite producing a large amount of seeds per seed pod, it reproduces largely by vegetative reproduction and remains restricted to the North East region of the the United States and south east regions of Canada. Although never common, this rare plant has vanished from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It has been a subject of horticultural interest for many years with Charles Darwin who like many, were unsuccessful in cultivating the plant.

It is the state flower of both Minnesota and New Hampshire in the United States, and was also proposed to be the provincial flower of Prince Edward Island, Canada. – Wikipedia

Featured in:

Nature’s Symphony Of Trees and Flowers – June 2011
Endangered or Vulnerable Plants – June 2011
Blooms (All Seasons) – June 2011
Nature’s Paintbrush – June 2011
ONE SINGLE FLOWER ON DISPLAY – June 2011
Midwestern United States Photography – July 2011
HIGH QUALITY IMAGES – July 2011
Special Moments – September 2011
Green! – November 2011
Wildflowers of North America – December 2011
All About Gardens – January 2012
Featured for a Challenge – January 2012

CHALLENGE WINNER:

Wow Factor – Wildflowers of the World Group – 11/20/2011
May Avatar Challenge – Plants at Risk Group – 05/08/2012
Tied for 1st – Wildflowers – ENCHANTED FLOWERS – 05/20/2012