Common names:   Pink Lady's Slipper, Moccasin Flower, Stemless Lady's Slipper

Range:   Most of eastern US and eastern Canada

Blooming season (in Ohio):   late April through mid May

Habitat:   This species has a very specialized niche.  It is adapted to grow in very acidic (pH 3.5-5.0), usually nutrient poor environments.   They are highly adaptable to moisture levels, growing in areas from sphagnum bogs to dry ridge tops, as long as the pH remains low.   Although they are usually encountered in the shade of mature forest trees, research suggests that this species may prefer more open habitats, and populations found in the woods may be older than the trees around them.   They are frequently found in association with wild blueberries, mountain laurels and other acid loving plants.

Comments:  This is probably the most common Cypripedium in the eastern US.   The plants live a long time and reproduce slowly, making this species vulnerable to anyone digging them from the wild.   The survival of wild collected plants is extremely low.

Cyp. acaule is considered a "deceptive pollinator."   The flower looks attractive to bumblebees, but offers no food reward.   In times when nectar-bearing flowers are scarce, the bees quickly learn to avoid these flowers.   So the plant is dependent on the mistakes of inexperienced bumblebees for its reproduction.

Photographed in Ohio by Dawn and Ken Mettler.   Text by Ken Mettler.