You can find a few Pink Lady’s slippers along the Main Loop trail at the Museum of American Bird Art.
Pink Lady’s Slipper Cypripedium acaule
Pink Lady’s slippers are large and showy. The Latin species name acaule means “stem less” referring to the leafless flower stem. The two large leaves grow from the base of the plant. Pink Lady’s slippers are in the Orchid family of plants.
These plants require a special fungus in the soil to supply nutrients. The flower and fungus have a mutually beneficial interaction called symbiosis. Bees pollinate Pick Lady’s slippers. They are attracted by the color and sweet scent.
Our guest blogger, Julianne Mehegan, is a wonderful friend of MABA, a birder and a naturalist.