Monday, May 20, 2013

Slipper Gems of the Forest


The first thing I did when I got out of the pick-up truck was to walk behind the woodshed. There's a shady trail there, and it is usually where I find the first Calypso Lady-slipper Orchids of the season. I thought it might be a bit early yet, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found one of these pretty purple gems nestled next to a wild ginger plant. If there's one, there has to be more, so the search was on! Before the day was over I'd found many groupings of them as I traipsed through the woods. They could be found in hollows and in groupings along the forest floor.


The scientific name of this tiny flower is Calypso Bulbosa. But, my mother always called them Lady-slipper Orchids because of the unique shape of the blossom, so that's the name I know it by. Doesn't it look like the elegant slipper that a lady would wear? It's also called a Fairy-slipper Orchid or Hider-of-the-North. 


This orchid is very tiny, standing no more than 20 cm tall with a blossom that is about 3 cm long. The blossom droops, facing the earth, making it difficult to see its full beauty. It's a flower that I usually don't pick, because it's somewhat rare and if the blossom is picked the plant may not regrow next season. So, they are a cherished and charmed little plant in our woods.


The Western Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis is found only in the Cascade mountain range and west of the Rockies in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Montana. It is distinguished by a white beard and a heavily spotted lip in a purple-brown color. 


I call them "little gems" because they are such beautiful treasures of the forest. Their life span is short and they appear only for a few weeks in the springtime. Taking pictures of them is a huge challenge for me. Essentially, I have to nearly stand on my head to get a picture! Because their blossoms droop, they photograph best from the ground up. Have you tried taking a picture from ground level recently? And was it in focus? Yikes! It's a tough assignment. The experience was a reminder that I am not a teen-ager any more!


11 comments:

  1. What a wonderful discovery and your own woods!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very pretty, thanks for sharing this info with us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, La Tea Dah. That was challenging to get the photos. I don't know if I'd be able to get up off the ground.

    Lovely photos, though. Good job! Susan

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for all you do for blogging! They look very different from our lady slippers, but so lovely. Ours will bloom early in June, I hope. I do love seeing them. Say, do you get the highly scented Mayflower? It is such a lovely thing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a beautiful gift from Mother Nature!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love finding lady slipper's in the woods around here. I know what you mean about them being hard to photograph! Takes real dexterity. You did well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How beautiful! We have pink and yellow lady's slippers (wild orchids) around here (N. GA), both are rare and I think both endangered.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It is gorgeous! Oh how I love wildflowers and this one is a gem. You did very well with the photographs. I sometimes put my camera down on the ground and click, hoping for the best. It usually takes more tries, but in the end I get something I am happy with.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm sure there are many people who would not respect this little gem of a flower. So lovely to see it growing wild in the woods. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes, I have tried taking photos at ground level and it IS a challenge! I have two different cameras that both have close-up settings for flowers, but I need some new magnification lenses to really get in tight. I LOVE these photos!

    ReplyDelete
  11. So glad to know they are blooming. I hope I get to see one this year. They are "little gems".

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for commenting on my blog post. I am always happy to hear from blog readers. Your words encourage and inspire me. I am glad you stopped by to share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.