Ladys Slipper Orchid Cyripedium calceolus

[Analoguesat]

One of my pals took this beautiful picture of the ultra rare Ladys Slipper Orchid.

Its carefully guarded at a site in Cumbria and she lives just round the corner from it!

This is about the only site its possible to see it in the wild in the UK - there is rumoured to be one site up a hill somewhere in the Yorkshire Dales which has a few spikes but thats kept very secret indeed and access will never be allowed.

[Catherine]

It's very beautiful, Ross - and always reminds me of a cheeky little girl with a fringe and pigtails!

I've never seen them in the wild, just on TV!

[Analoguesat]

They have been reintroduced to the Ingleton Waterfall walk and are by one of the paths in a small enclosure.

Sadly they werent in flower when I was on it a few weeks ago.

[rolf]

Nice photo Ross, thanks for posting it. Certainly not one I've seen, but then I'm absolutely pants on flower recognition.

[Chocky]

Beautiful.
Do they flwer for a short time once a year . I have heard some do and every one gathers to see it flower

[ladylouise62]

Wow, it looks too exotic for our landscape - thanks for posting. But isn't it sad that because it's rare it needs to be protected because people will pick it because it is rare

[Analoguesat]

Wow, it looks too exotic for our landscape - thanks for posting. But isn't it sad that because it's rare it needs to be protected because people will pick it because it is rare

This makes very sad reading:

This species was once widespread and relatively common across limestone areas of the country including the Dales, with records from the late 1790s indicating that bundles of the flowers were sold on market stalls in Settle.

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority - Woodland Plants - Lady's-slipper Orchid