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Cypripedium means ‘Aphrodite’s foot’, as Kypris was an old name for Aphrodite (Venus). Three species of the genus Cypripedium grow in the State of Washington. Members of this genus are terrestrial and have creeping rhizomes. The stems have two to four leaves. Flowers tend to be solitary, more unusually two or three flowers. Cypripediums are pollinated by bees passing through the basal opening. Methods of cultivation: They need to be shaded in the hottest part of the day. The soil should consist of calcareous, clay humus with limestone grit, and be well aerated and not compressed. They need good drainage with little ground moisture. The soil pH should be 6-7. Remember, if you do try to grow these orchids, slugs love to eat these guys. The beauty of this orchid has been its downfall. Thoughtless collectors have made these orchids rare, endangered or even extinct. Most Cypripediums are protected, so don’t dig them up. When transplanted the plant tends to die from the roots being suffocated from the new soil compaction. A few have been successfully propagated and can be purchased commercially. Hybrids tend to be easier to grow. Cypripedium montanum or Mountain lady’s Slipper is a perennial, somewhat rhizomatous herb. Stems can be simple or branched, hairy and usually 20 to 100 cm tall. Leaves are elliptic to egg-shaped, alternate, 12 cm long, 5 cm wide. The lower leaves are wrapped around the base or sheathing of the stem. The flowers are fragrant! The flower pouch or lip is white with or without purple veins or rim. The petal and sepals range in color from reddish brown to a light brown and sometimes a very rare green. The two lateral petals are long and twisted. Usually two flowers per stem. This orchid has been reported to take 15 years to bloom and can live to be eighty years old. This plant can live in dry to moist conditions. They can be found in open woods, deciduous woods, sub-alpine elevations and even disturbed sites such as roadsides. This orchid is threatened by over-collecting.
        
  Cypripedium parviflorum var.makasin or Northern Small Yellow Lady’s Slipper is one of the forms of the Yellow Lady’s Slipper that grows in Washington State. This orchid was classified as C. calceolus or the Yellow Lady’s Slipper until 1985. This orchid has also been known as C. calceolus var. pubescens until 1995. Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin often forms large clumps. The leaves are bluish green in color. The flower is small, showy and has a intense sweet fragrance. The two lateral petals are twisted two to four times. The slipper like lip is yellow with red spotting inside. The staminode is yellow with red spotting. The sepals and petals are usually suffused with a dark reddish-brown color. In the western part of the United States the sepals and petals are often spotted and blotched. Usually one or two flowers per stem. This orchid can be found in sunny places in damp calcareous fens, marshes, meadows with skunk cabbage, marly cedar swamps, non-sphagnous bogs, deciduous woodland. The Distribution is British Columbia to northern California thru Newfoundland, south to Illinios thru Pennsylvania. This orchid is not easy to grow. It must have a perfectly crumbled calcareous clay soil that contains small sand grain size pieces of limestone. If you see this orchid please get a GPS location and report the sighting to the Washington State Natural Heritage Program at 360-902-1710 or
 Cypripedium parviflorum var.pubescens or Large Yellow Lady’s Slipper is one of the forms of the Yellow Lady’s Slipper that grows in Washington State. The most common lady's-slipper and with the widest range of habitats. This orchid has a range in every province in Canada and almost every state in the United States and can be found in deciduous forests, boreal forest, bogs, open swamps and alongside streams. Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens produces 1 to 2 large showy yellowish green flowers with brown veining. The long petals are twisted. Sepals and petals vary from light greenish-yellow to dark maroon in color. The lip is large and bright yellow. The leaves are ovate shaped and alternating. The distribution is from Alaska thru Newfoundland south to Arizona thru Georgia. This species is one of the most variable in coloration within the genus which always makes it a pleasure to enjoy the never ending color variations it comes up with. This species is one of the easiest Cypripedium to grow in woodland gardens with open shade and can be purchased commercially. If you see this orchid please get a GPS location and report the sighting to the Washington State Natural Heritage Program at 360-902-1710 or
   Cypripedium fasciculatum or Cluster Lady’s Slipper is a very rare orchid. The two leaves are broadly elliptic, and high on the stem. Two to four flowers are usual. The flowers are crowed and drooping. The small round slipped like lip is greenish and mottled with purplish brown. The petals and sepals are greenish heavily marked with purplish brown. The petals and dorsal sepal are ovate. The lateral sepal fused almost to the apex. They can be found growing in moderate altitudes in moist to dry coniferous forests in the mountains with acid soils. The distribution is in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, west to Washington, Oregon and northern California. This species is not recommended for cultivation. If you see this orchid please get a GPS location and report the sighting to the Washington State Natural Heritage Program at 360-902-1710 or
 
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