Common Name: Showy Lady's Slipper

General Information

Cypripedium reginae is an erect, herbaceous perennial plant slowly spreading to form a clump; it produces 3 - 9 leaves along flowering stems that are around 20 - 90cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its root, which is used medicinally. It is also grown as an ornamental, valued for its aesthetic appeal and beauty[]..
Cypripedium reginae is widespread and abundant throughout much of eastern North America with numerous large subpopulations, mostly in large colonies of several thousand plants. From its wide distribution the risk of extinction for this species is low and the current threats to the species and its habitats are unlikely to cause the population to decline quickly in the near future. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2014)[].

Known Hazards

Especially during the flowering season, the glandular hairs on the leaves and stems can cause a rash, similar to poison ivy rash[, ].
We have no specific information for this species, but it has been stated that the roots of at least one member of the genus may cause psychedelic reactions, and large doses may result in giddiness, restlessness, headache, mental excitement and visual hallucinations[].

Botanical References

Range

Central and eastern N. America - Saskatchewan to Newfoundland, south to Arkansas and North Carolina

Habitat

Coniferous and hardwood fen forests, openings, fen meadows, hillside seeps, meadows, prairies, dune lags, seeping cliffs; mostly at elevations up to 600 metres[]

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.65 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cypripedium reginae is a very cold-tolerant plant, when fully dormant it can withstand temperatures down to about -30°c[].
Prefers full sun to semi-shaded condition[]. Found in the wild on moist substrates ranging from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, usually in neutral or calcareous soils[].
Orchids are, in general, shallow-rooting plants of well-drained low-fertility soils. Their symbiotic relationship with a fungus in the soil allows them to obtain sufficient nutrients and be able to compete successfully with other plants. They are very sensitive to the addition of fertilizers or fungicides since these can harm the symbiotic fungus and thus kill the orchid[].
The flowers of Cypripedium species belong to the group of 'trap' flowers. An insect as it crawls in, can only escape from the slipper-like labellum through a tunnel near the base of the labellum from where it is directed first to the nearby stigma where possible pollinia from another flower on its back are stripped off and while escaping, sticky pollen from the nearby anthers adhere to its back for the pollination of another flower[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An extract from the roots has historically been used as a sedative and treatment for nervous disorders and used as an official nerve stimulant[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - surface sow, preferably as soon as it is ripe, in the greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out. The seed of this species is extremely simple, it has a minute embryo surrounded by a single layer of protective cells. It contains very little food reserves and depends upon a symbiotic relationship with a species of soil-dwelling fungus. The fungal hyphae invade the seed and enter the cells of the embryo. The orchid soon begins to digest the fungal tissue and this acts as a food supply for the plant until it is able to obtain nutrients from decaying material in the soil[]. It is best to use some of the soil that is growing around established plants in order to introduce the fungus, or to sow the seed around a plant of the same species and allow the seedlings to grow on until they are large enough to move.
Division with care in early spring, the plants resent disturbance[]. Remove part of the original rootball, making sure to keep some of the soil around it intact[].
Division is best carried out towards the end of the growing season, since food reserves are fairly evenly distributed through the rhizome[]. Small divisions of a lead and two buds, or divisions from the back (older) part of the rhizome without any developed buds, establish quickly using this method[]. Replant immediately in situ[].