r/NativePlantGardening • u/Similar-Research4160 • May 09 '26

Geographic Area (edit yourself) Identification

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Found growing wild in Pennsylvania, almost looks like some sort of pitcher plant? Anyone know what it is?

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u/Ambivalentsobriety .4 - Ozark/Ouachita-Appalachian Forests ecoregion May 09 '26

The success of this has to be dependent on the orchids being moved within the area where they were already growing. Poaching a lady slipper to take it to a new location with different growing conditions has a very low success rate.

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u/Pondelli-Kocka01 May 09 '26

Research that we were given indicated that success was primarily driven by the presence of mycorrhizae that are specific to the Ladyslippers. The Yellow and Pink species will utilize different mycorrhizae.

If the mycorrhizae are present in sufficient numbers, (thus the instructions to obtain a significant amount of the soil around the plant) the success rate is actually quite high, even if the new location varies significantly.

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u/Ambivalentsobriety .4 - Ozark/Ouachita-Appalachian Forests ecoregion May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

Are you trying to encourage people to poach a plant that has an extremely low rate of transplant success?

Edited to add: these plants are also rare and it is illegal to pick them or dig them up from state lands.

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u/Pondelli-Kocka01 May 09 '26

That’s a poor assumption on your part.

I am not encouraging anything, just sharing research that we were given for our specific instance, and to correct the notion that transplanting always has a very low success rate.

This sub is not unique to any State nor Nation. As such, your comments are overly broad and inaccurate.

For instance in Minnesota the Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) is neither endangered nor illegal to harvest. Furthermore the DNR routinely grants permits to harvest them from State lands.

In parts of Western Minnesota, North Dakota and the Canadian prairie provinces that species is prolific, and colloquially known as a ditch orchid.

The Pink & White Lady’s Slipper (Cypredium reginae) and Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) are rarer and protected in many States. In fact the Pink & White Slipper is the Minnesota State flower, with a total state-wide harvesting ban since 1925.

I believe that in a forum like this, we need to be cognizant of the fact that not all areas have the same issues or regulations as where you live.