My Mysterious Little Lantern

This is another American wildflower - the Small Yellow Lady's-slipper, Cypripedium parviflorum ssp. parviflorum. These orchids are native to most of the Eastern states of the U.S., and Washington as well.

The Cypripedium species are hardy plants, with only a few exceptions. In fact, they need cold winters to grow healthily in spring - so they cannot be grown on the windowsill! A successful culture requires a lot of experience, and one should never collect wild cypripediums or buy plants stolen from the wild - they are doomed to death in almost every case!

Although the propagation is not easy, specialized nurseries have learned to solve the problems. They can deliver divisions and also plants grown from seeds (but still at rather high prices). Thus, even a number of nice hybrids has become available during the last years. But they still remain a challenge!

This photo was taken at night. A torch/flashlight and a mirror were used for lighting. Full view please.