The Orchid of the Commonwealth

If I was in charge of the state of Kentucky ( and you can thank your lucky stars that I’m not), the Kentucky Lady’s Slipper Orchid would be the state flower. Not that I have anything against the many species of Goldenrods found in the meadows and along the roadsides of Kentucky, but this incredible botanical wonder is in a class by itself.

The scientific name is Cypripedium kentuckiense and, although named after our fair Commonwealth, it is a very rare occurrence. A few years ago, I was studying a proposed powerline corridor in Rowan County and encountered ten or eleven small patches of the Kentucky Lady’s Slipper. Although the orchid is not protected by law, the proposed route was moved to a site where no rare species occurred.

First scientifically described in the 1970s, the Kentucky Lady’s Slipper is one of our most handsome orchids. Because of its height and color, it was originally thought to be a robust form of the Yellow Lady’s Slipper Orchid. You may have encountered another more common relative, the Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchid, in shaded woods throughout Eastern Kentucky. Like both of its cousins, the Kentucky Lady’s Slipper blooms in May. What sets this Kentucky orchid apart is the huge cream color bowl and long purple petals. Also this orchid seems to favor seasonally flooded sandy shoals along wooded stream corridors.

If you happen upon one of these botanical marvels, take a moment to celebrate the creative force that brought it into existence, and then call your congressman and politely request that it be named as the state flower of Kentucky. The crusade has begun!