Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchid

Pink lady’s slipper orchids are a delight to see. They generally flower in early June in Nova Scotia. Their scientific name is Cypripedium acaule. Please enjoy seeing them, but please don’t pick the flowers or dig the plants up. It’s illegal to do that in the park and the blooms will fade almost immediately anyway. While the species is not endangered or at risk in Nova Scotia, the plants are vulnerable to loss if disturbed.

Pink lady’s slipper orchids have very specific habitat requirements. Another way of saying this is that they are fussy about where they live. They need the right kind of soil, at the right pH (acidity), the right light conditions, and the right kind of fungi in the soil. Each seed needs a lot of luck for it to germinate successfully. On a brighter note, once a plant has become established, it can live for many years so long as someone doesn’t disturb it. Fortunately for us, the forest conditions in the region of Long Lake Provincial Park that lies north of Long Lake provide excellent habitat for this orchid. They are absent or rare in the region of the park to the south of Long Lake where the forest structure tends to be different.