The Elusive Kentucky Lady's Slipper Orchid

Orchids.  For many it draws up images of far away equatorial rainforests and steamy jungles but it doesn't end there, not by a long shot.  It's true most examples of this enormous plant family with well over 20,000 accepted individual species (including the Vanilla orchid, where we get the flavoring from) occur in tropical environments but you can find orchids in just about any environment on Earth.  From the Arctic circle to the humid rainforests of Asia and the temperate climate of Ohio, these amazingly diverse and beautiful plants are one of my most beloved specialties of the botanical world.

One of the most stunning of Orchidaceae's genera is Cypripedium, commonly referred to as the Lady's Slippers.  Not only are they some of the most visually exciting of our Orchids but also our largest in both stature of the plant and (generally) size of the inflorescence.  There are 12 species of Cypripedium indigenous to the North American continent with a handful of naturally occurring hybrids.  Five Lady's Slippers are native to Ohio: the Pink (C. acaule), Small White (C. candidum), Small Yellow (C. parviflorum var. parviflorum), Large Yellow (C. parviflorum var. pubescens) and Showy (C. reginae).  All are considered rare with the Showy state listed as threatened and the Small Yellow and White listed as endangered.  I'm proud to say as of the other day with the observing of the Small Yellow (Ohio's rarest by far) I have seen all five of Ohio's Cypripedium's in their natural habitat.  A life goal of mine that completing has been beyond satisfying.  I feel it's only appropriate that my journey and search continues with the meeting and greeting of the other seven species.

Cypripedium kentuckiense

First up and by and far the closest to Ohio's border is the Kentucky Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense).  Also known as the Southern Lady's Slipper due to its mostly southern and southeasterly distribution; ranging from Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma, east to Georgia and Virginia and north to Tennessee and Kentucky.  This particular population photographed above of about half a dozen plants in Lewis County, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Adams and Scioto counties in Ohio is one of the most northern known for this species; if not the most northern.  While never known or discovered in Ohio, I have a hunch it could be just across the river in Shawnee State forest and plan on doing some searching this year if time allows or certainly over the next few years.  It's certainly a stretch but the population I visited was less than 10 miles from Ohio as the crow flies, so the hypothesis of it being in Ohio is a valid one if you ask me.

Cypripedium kentuckiense

Cypripedium kentuckiense

Brilliant Kentucky botanist and good friend, Raymond Cranfill was kind enough to share the location of these splendid monocots with me.  We shared an afternoon of temperatures in the 90's and excruciating humidity out in the field last week so I could get a chance to photograph and get to know these plants first hand.  The calendar clearly said mid May but it felt like the sticky, sweat drenched summer days of July while on our botanical foray.  Lucky for me, Ray was not only generous enough to take me to this spot but also fill me in on its fascinating history as well.  It may be almost impossible to believe but this is one of the newest orchids to be discovered and described to science in our neck of the woods.  In fact, Ray can remember the days when the existence of this species was merely rumorous whisperings echoing through the eastern Kentucky hills.  It was a hard pill to swallow for many seasoned botanists and ecologists who snickered at the idea that such a large and conspicuous plant could remain unknown and in hiding so far into the 20th century.  By the late 1970's no one felt like being a doubter any longer with the confirmed existence of North America's newest Cypripedium.

Cypripedium kentuckiense

Cypripedium kentuckiense

Perhaps it's this orchids peculiar habitat requirements and location that aided in its slipping through the nets of science and botanists for so many years.  Orchids grow in all different kinds of ecosystems and habitats from bogs and fens to dry conifer forests and prairies but the Kentucky Lady's Slipper isn't your average orchid.  Areas of acidic, alluvial/sandy soils along the embankments and sandbars of fast moving streams in Kentucky's mesic forests is where you might become on of the lucky few to make the acquaintance of this orchid come May.  No other orchid that I'm aware of in the eastern United States or Canada shares this unique habitat.  It's not uncommon to be walking the sandy banks of a forest stream and find clumps of this remarkable plant growing near the noticeable sign of the high water mark, with surrounding vegetation still clinging to trash and debris from previous floods.  In many instances, with this year being one no doubt, heavy spring rains can purge the banks clean of this species, leaving no trace until the next growing season when this long-lived perennial sends forth its new parallel veined leaves.  In fact Ray and I checked on the spot where he first laid eyes on this majestic orchid over 30 years prior in 1977 only to find a small scattering of  vegetative stalks, signaling perhaps this spring's deluge had scoured this years blooms into oblivion.


We arrived just in time to see this specific populations blooms awakening from their budded slumber and breaking forth from their sealed petal and sepal cocoon.  To some these may conjure up the memory and resemblance of the Large Yellow Lady's Slipper orchids (C. parviflorum var. pubescens) and you wouldn't be alone in those thoughts.  There has been much debate within the taxonomic community whether to consider this a distinct and separate species or to associate it as merely a part of the extremely variable taxon Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens.  I'm no taxonomist or geneticist nor do I have much interest in becoming one but I can certainly see the similarities in the shape, arrangement and physical properties between the two.  The colors/pattern of the labellum, column, petals and sepals of the two are distinctly different as is the habitat it's found in.  This is enough to make me consider them two differing species but like I said I have no real authority in the matter, only an opinion. 

Cypripedium kentuckiense

Cypripedium kentuckiense

 



Since its initial discovery in Kentucky it has been found in nine additional states, covering over 100 counties with populations ranging from a few plants like this one to several hundred.  Ray shared with me his experience of helping to find the largest population then known of this plant in Knox County, Kentucky with over 500 plants growing along the banks of Negro Creek.  What a remarkable sight that must have been.  I use past tense in that sentence because unfortunately that population was wiped clean off the face of the Earth when the forest was clear cut and filled to build of all things, a Wal-Mart.  Such is man kinds greed that he is willing to erase such a gem forever from its home all in the name for cheap, poor quality materialism.  Will we ever learn?  Luckily there have been enough new populations discovered in Kentucky that it is no longer state listed however it does remain rare in many parts throughout its range.  It has a global status of G3, meaning it is vulnerable to extinction and as we all know, extinction is forever.  Continued habitat destruction is the biggest obstacle this species faces and I fear in the end it will fare worse than just the Negro Creek population.  Time will tell and perhaps one day our species will wake up and see the true intrinsic value of this plant and its habitat and fight to keep it around for generations to come.

So there you have the story of the elusive and majestic Kentucky Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium number six for me, halfway to the magic number of 12.  My journey turns north from here for the rare and diminutive but outstandingly unique and gorgeous Rams-head Lady's Slipper (C. arietinum).  Found most frequently in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, this orchid is unlike any other out there in North America and will be a find of a lifetime for me.  From there it's out to the western states and Alaska to wrap up the Cypripedium genus and I will of course take you along for the ride when the time comes!  It may be years or even decades before I can mark off the last of the Lady's Slippers but as long as there's a healthy breath in my body, I'll always been on the trail of these unbeatable beauties.