Pink lady slipper ia a native plant in the Orchidaceae (orchid) family that needs very acidic soils and prefers at least partial shade and well-drained slopes. It is usually found in pine forests, where it can be seen in large colonies. In NC it can be found in the mountains. They are difficult to transplant and grow and are best left to their native habitat which is dry to mesic, acidic forests and woodlands, often under pines, other conifers, and/or oak trees. The seeds require the presence of a specific Rhizoctonia fungus to germinate and grow. As the plant matures the relationship becomes symbiotic with the fungus. There at 2 basal leaves with prominent parallel venation from which a single stalk emerges with a single large usually pink orchid type flower that has a slit to attract bees inside for pollination. The bees get no benefit from the plant and they learn to avoid them resulting in low pollination rates. Grow in woodland gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Produces 2 opposite green basal leaves with conspicuous parallel veins that sheath the stem. They are 3½ to 9 inches long, 1 to 3½ inches wide
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Green; Pink
Flower value
Showy
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Hollow, 2 in. pink pouch with heavy veining and a center groove; other sepals and petals are greenish-brown and lance-shaped. Flowers bloom from April to June
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
The fruit is an ascending capsule that ripens to brown and contains thousands of tiny seeds. Fruit displays in August.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Green leafless bristly hairy stem
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central & E. Canada to North Central & Eastern U.S.A
Distribution
AL , CT , DC , DE , GA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , SK
Wildlife value
Attracts bees for pollenation
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Uses (ethnobotany)
In the past, the root was used as a remedy for nervousness, tooth pain, and muscle spasms.