Pink Lady's Slipper

One of the largest native orchids, this flower is characterized by a leafless stalk bearing one flower with a distinctive, pink, inflated, slipper-like petal. This petal has red veins and a fissure down the front. There are 3 sepals and 2 greenish brown upper petals. The plant has one basal pair of long, oval leaves. Spotted in a mixed, wet forest. Pink Lady's Slippers are rare and hard to find in Connecticut, but when they are discovered, they usually occur in large patches. It should not be picked or dug up for transplanting because they reproduce very poorly and are extremely difficult to grow in gardens.

According to Native American folklore, a young maiden, who ran barefoot in the snow in search of medicine to save her tribe, was found collapsed on the way back from her mission with swollen, frozen feet. As a result, lady slipper flowers grew where her feet had been as a reminder of her bravery.