In a world of asters — sunflower, chicory, goldenrod, dandelion, others — the orchid seems alien. We rarely think about orchids as plants that grow in the Northern hemisphere. Usually orchids are tree climbers that thrive in humid warm atmospheres, dangling off the trunks of trees. But orchids are among the most diverse plant families in the world. They have adapted to every continent except Antarctica.
The Eastern lady’s slipper is slow growing but undoubtedly effective having learned a slow, persistent style of seduction. Among the rare orchids native to the Northeastern U.S., Eastern lady’s slipper is ground dwelling and has adapted to pine and hardwood forest floors and occasionally along coasts and mountaintops — places where the soil is acidic. It grows in slightly damp soil and creates a symbiotic relationship with a fungus to mature, a type of bacterial relationship common for nearly all orchids.
The Eastern lady’s slipper, or pink lady’s slipper, might go unnoticed if not for its bloom. A single stalk stands in the middle of a forest, only two ladle-shaped leaves emerging on either side. Far below the trees, they are no more than a foot tall, disappearing into the dappled wood.
In the first weeks of June, a long bulbous petal like a pink lantern fills. The petals are covered in trichomes: tiny hairs that hold in moisture and heat and also act as doors ensuring that only hearty bees strong enough to pass through the hairs will enter. The flower calls to the wayward bee who wiggles herself into the narrow opening of the petal lantern. When she bee finds no pollen within, the only way out is squeezing through the opening at the lip of the petal, which scrapes pollen off her leg sacs and pollinates the stigma. So the seed begins to swell.
The Eastern lady’s slipper has worked with the soil for years using photosynthesis to produce sugars and nutrients for the fungus. In turn, the fungus creates a nurturing home for the lady slipper seed through mycorrhizal connections nourishing its roots and seedlings. This strong relationship is necessary because once the seed roots, it can take 10 years to flower. This root of the Eastern lady’s slipper has been used medicinally for its sedative properties and to bring down fever and treat labor pains and muscle cramping.
Slipper orchids are also known as moccasin flowers from a story that may have Ojibwe origins. According to legend, a woman who brought medicine to her people, was honored by the land in the summer by having moccasin flowers grow in the cold snows of winter.
This myth alludes to the plant’s valuable medicinal properties and shows how strong and resilient they are, their small roots endure devastating winters and hot humid summers. Because they are susceptible to overharvesting and extremely slow to grow, many varieties are endangered.
In New York State, it’s no surprise they are vulnerable due to environmental degradation. Forging connections takes time. It has no extensive roots, yet has deep and long relationships. The Latin name, Cypripedium acaule, means “no visible stem” — meaning the root which is very small: an underground stem with a horizontal relationship with the soil.
What a long wait the Eastern lady’s slipper endures, just to play a prank on a bee. You can almost see it laughing, cheeks as petals ready to burst with delight. Bees come at the beginning of the season to find nothing there. Then they stop visiting. This is why the Eastern lady slipper only blooms once in a season.
