What is this plant/flower?

Anybody know what is the name of this plant? They grow in the woods near my house every year.

4 Likes

Look like Lady’s Slippers

7 Likes

Pretty sure you have a lady slippers, there a not terribly, orchid at least around Wisconsin

2 Likes

It is a native Paphiopedilum (Lady’s Slipper) orchid. It is protected by law, so don’t pick it or dig it up. What a beautiful thing to have growing near your home. :slightly_smiling_face:

6 Likes

WOW! You are very lucky! It’s a very beautifull native orchid (Cypripedium acaule). :heart_eyes:

I don’t know if it’s protected in VA or not, but many a time when the bulldozers go to clearing a new homesite, then it’s going to disappear forever if someone doesn’t harvest and relocate it.

Yes, it depends on where it growing whether it is protected or not. When I was a child, it used to be on the endangered species list (showing my age here :smirk:), so it was illegal to pick them anywhere. I think it has recovered to the point where it is no longer an endangered species, but it is still illegal to harvest them on federal land. But various parts of New England also have other laws that determine whether or not it is illegal to pick them.

3 Likes