05/07/2026
Flowers are the music of the ground — from Earth’s lips spoken without sound. – Edwin Curran, Poet
I ventured North in the rain to Big South Fork in search of one of the more rare orchids in Tennessee - the Kentucky Lady's Slipper. Like most wildflowers, they are blooming a bit early this year so I knew time was important. I found about 10-12 blooming plants at an undisclosed location.
The Kentucky Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense) is the largest native lady’s slipper in North America, with a pale yellow to creamy pouch and long, often maroon or brownish twisted petals. In contrast, the Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) is smaller overall, with a deeper, brighter yellow pouch and shorter, less dramatically twisted petals.
Kentucky ladies tend to look washed-out and oversized, often growing in richer floodplain forests like those in the Big South Fork, while the Yellow ladies tend to appear more compact and vividly yellow, and found in a wider range of habitats.
I've got one more orchid to find before the season of Spring wildflowers ends for me, and I know I need to go early. The even more rare Showy Lady Slippers tend to bloom the first week in June, but I'm going to venture out next week to check on them.
