Showy Lady's Slipper Identification Guide
A field guide to identifying the showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae), North America's largest native orchid, by its inflated white-and-pink pouch.
Read the full Showy Lady's Slipper encyclopedia entry →
Key Identifying Features
The showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae) is one of the tallest and most spectacular native orchids in North America. Identify it by:
- A large, inflated white pouch (slipper) flushed rose-pink to magenta on its lower half
- Pure white surrounding petals and sepals
- A robust, leafy, hairy stem often 1-3 feet tall
- Habitat in calcium-rich wet ground
The white-with-pink pouch on a tall leafy stalk is unmistakable; no other lady's slipper combines those colors.
Leaves & Stems
The stout, erect stem is densely covered in fine glandular hairs. Leaves are strongly pleated (ribbed), broadly oval to elliptical, and clasp the stem, arranged alternately up its length — typically 3-7 leaves, each 4-10 inches long with conspicuous parallel veins. The whole plant grows from a perennial rhizome and may form clumps.
Flowers & Fruit
Flowering peaks in June and early July. Each stem bears one or two flowers, occasionally three. The signature pouch is 1-2 inches long, white with bold rose-pink veining or wash, and is the largest slipper of any North American native orchid. The petals and sepals above and beside the pouch are clean white, broad, and do not twist. After pollination it forms an upright, ribbed seed capsule.
How to Tell It Apart from Look-Alikes
- Pink lady's slipper / moccasin flower (Cypripedium acaule) has a leafless flower stalk, only two basal leaves, and a single deep-pink pouch with a slit down the front — not white.
- Yellow lady's slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum/pubescens) has a yellow pouch and twisted brownish side petals.
- Small white lady's slipper (Cypripedium candidum) is much shorter with an all-white pouch and no pink wash.
The large white-and-pink pouch with white petals on a tall, leafy, hairy stem separates C. reginae from every relative.
Where You'll Find It
It favors alkaline (limy) wetlands: fens, wet meadows, swampy woodland edges, bogs with calcareous seepage, and damp ditches across the northeastern and north-central United States and adjacent Canada. It needs consistent moisture, neutral-to-alkaline soil, and dappled-to-full sun.
Quick ID Checklist
- Tall (1-3 ft) leafy, hairy stem
- 3-7 pleated, clasping, oval leaves up the stem
- Large inflated white pouch washed rose-pink
- White (not twisted) petals and sepals
- One or two flowers per stem, blooming June-July
- Calcium-rich wet meadow, fen, or swamp
Match all six and you have the showy lady's slipper — the state flower of Minnesota and a protected orchid throughout its range. Admire and photograph; never pick or dig it.
Frequently asked questions
What makes the showy lady's slipper different from the pink lady's slipper?
The showy lady's slipper has a leafy hairy stem and a white pouch washed with pink, while the pink lady's slipper has a leafless stalk, two basal leaves, and a solid pink pouch with a front slit.
When does it bloom?
It flowers in June and early July, with one to two large blooms per stem.
What habitat should I search?
Look in calcium-rich, consistently wet places such as fens, wet meadows, calcareous bogs, and swampy woodland edges.
Is it legal to pick?
No. It is protected across much of its range and is Minnesota's state flower; picking or digging it is prohibited and the plant rarely survives transplanting.