Botany Collection - Moccasin Flower, Cypripedium acaule

Not All Orchids Are Rare

If you’ve spent time walking in Nova Scotia’s upland forests, then you’ve probably seen the Moccasin flower or Pink lady’s-slipper. Ranging in colour from pink to magenta to near-red, the plant’s single flower blooms from June to September. It’s not unusual to find a white one amongst all the pink. These “albino” flowers are caused by the instability of anthocyanin pigments – a characteristic that plant breeders use when working with cultivars of many species. Found throughout eastern Canada, the Pink lady’s-slipper is the floral emblem of Prince Edward Island.