Wild orchid

This little gem shows up in shady groves in the Dungeness Recreation Area this time of year. It’s tiny – the blossom is no more than an inch high – but packs plenty of punch for its size. This is the most beautiful belly flower I’ve found. I had been calling it a ladyslipper or stream orchid, but it doesn’t match the real thing in my Encyclopedia of Northwest Native Plants.

Can anyone give this an accurate name?

This post is linked to the Weekly Top Shot hosted by The View from Right Here. To see other participants, click below:

9 thoughts on “Wild orchid”

  1. Gorgeous! Great shot, Kay. I recently found out we have wild orchids here too, I had no idea.

    In answer to your questio: yes, tiled buildings were a tradition here between the late 18th century and the early 20th, although tiles have been used as decoration since Moorish times. The Moors were kicked out in the 12th century but the tile industry still remains.

  2. In ‘Mountain Plants of the Pacific Northwest’ it has this pictured as Fairy Slipper, Calypso bulbosa. The flower with the white, larger, saclike lip with brownish purple sepals is the Lady Slipper, Cypripedium montanum. Both in the Orchidaceae family.

Comments are closed.