Yellow Lady's-slipper, Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens, Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Greater Yellow Lady's-slipper) One of the two Lady's-slippers in the Garden (the other being the Showy), the Yellow blooms first, usually by mid-May. There are several clumps, the largest near the patio area. The variety "pubescens" refers to the larger size of this variety compared to the "Smaller Yellow Lady's-slipper" Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. var. makasin, which grows in swamps and bogs and was formerly present in the Garden (see historic photo below). The larger variety can occur more often on upland sites, which is where it is situated in the Garden. The flower stems of both can be 8 to 30" high with prominently ribbed oval leaves that mostly surround the stems. The long thin sepals are spirally twisted. The larger variety has flowers from 2 to 3 1/8" long and a pouch 1-1/8 to 2" long while the smaller variety has a flower is 1 to 2" long with the yellow pouch from 3/4" to 1 1/8" long and the sepals are darker. The pouches of both varieties may show purple veins. There is usually one but may be two flowers on an inflorescence. Both varieties are native to Minnesota in the "old woods" band north and east of a diagonal line from SE to NW Minnesota. The former scientific name for this species was Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Yellow Lady's-slipper	Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. var. pubescens (Willd.) Knight	Orchis (Orchidaceae)	Woodland	Late Spring - usually the last half of May
Other names and notes	(Greater Yellow Lady's-slipper) One of the two Lady's-slippers in the Garden (the other being the Showy), the Yellow blooms first, usually by mid-May. There are several clumps, the largest near the patio area. The variety "pubescens" refers to the larger size of this variety compared to the "Smaller Yellow Lady's-slipper" Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. var. makasin, which grows in swamps and bogs and was formerly present in the Garden (see historic photo below). The larger variety can occur more often on upland sites, which is where it is situated in the Garden. The flower stems of both can be 8 to 30" high with prominently ribbed oval leaves that mostly surround the stems. The long thin sepals are spirally twisted. The larger variety has flowers from 2 to 3 1/8" long and a pouch 1-1/8 to 2" long while the smaller variety has a flower is 1 to 2" long with the yellow pouch from 3/4" to 1 1/8" long and the sepals are darker. The pouches of both varieties may show purple veins. There is usually one but may be two flowers on an inflorescence. Both varieties are native to Minnesota in the "old woods" band north and east of a diagonal line from SE to NW Minnesota. The former scientific name for this species was Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens.