l'll never forget coming across a patch of lady's slipper orchids in the woods, as a child. They're memorable for their delicate pink color and slipper-shaped pouches, which are engineered so that bees will fertilize the flowers as they exit.

Requiring acid soil rich in fungal activity, moss, and decomposing plant matter, they can take decades to establish a population.

They're endangered, threatened, or declining in most of their native ranges.

#nature #flowers

photo: Steven Foster