Nothing much to see driving by you say. You need to get out and look closer.....
There she is..... one of that special breed of native
orchids. This is Cypripedium candidum - the white ladyslipper. Discovered in
1805, it ranged from New England to the Dakotas. Now, due to habitat
destruction and thoughtless "collecting", it is extirpated in much of
the East and very rare in the upper Midwest. It was found in wet meadows and
prairie sites. Draining and plowing plus intensive pasturing did them in...
It had been more than ten years since I had seen my of first ones while I was visiting this protected native prairie site just south over the border in Iowa. That is. first and only ones till early this summer. The Hayden prairie
site encompasses about 300 acres. It reportedly has never been tilled. After taking a shot of Mrs. T and some late shooting
stars, we continued down the road. 
From April to November Hayden Prairie produces a regular parade of native wildflowers. I hope you enjoyed. We'll go back again and look for some more....:)
Oh how wonderful! I've never seen those, though I have heard of them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a find! I shall put this prairie on our "Must Do" list.
You guys always look like you're having the greatest time. You two are marvelous. Happy Trails!
How wonderful, Trout! Beautiful photos! Enjoy your time, both of you! Hugs. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a first for me to see. I have looked at a bookstore of two people who have catalogued all the orchids in northern Iowa. I will have to go back and look at the book to see if they covered it and I just missed it. That is a gravel road. I sure hope that is not what they want to replace and clear all the ditches.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! You have very sharp eyes, I must say.
ReplyDeleteClose ups of wildflowers are among my favorites. Thanks for this glimpse of these surviving blooms that I was not acquainted with.
ReplyDeleteI love lady slippers, and you now have shown me white ones, which I hadn't seen before. Wonderful indeed! :-)
ReplyDeleteI like native flowers and wish to see more land set aside for the,.
ReplyDeleteA special place indeed.
ReplyDeleteAppropriately named and so cute.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad they have found a place where man leaves them alone. What a marvelous find. They really do look like slippers.
ReplyDeleteNice find. I'll have to make note of this because we do have the Luther College connection to NE Iowa. I'm on the lookout for the Purple Fringed Orchis in our woods.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you for continuing to go back there. I've seen yellow ladyslippers, but never white ones.
ReplyDeleteHi Troutbirder, I put Hayden Prairie into Google Maps and came up with Hayden Prairie State Wildlife Area just to get some perspective on where this wild prairie is in the USA. Very interesting! I guess some people would call me a "tree hugger" but I really wish we had done a better job of preserving more of the original prairie lands. This is very interesting about the white and yellow ladyslippers. First I've heard of these beauties. Thanks for sharing all this!
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that they continue to thrive in certain areas.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and I think it is great you look for them.
ReplyDeleteI came across a pink lady slipper in the Porcupine Mountains hiking in June. :-) Beautiful!!
perhaps it is common knowledge but i did not know they grew wild. they are beautiful and it is so amazing to find them growing wild!! this looks like a great spot for a road trip!!!
ReplyDeleteDelightful! So many cars will pass by without a thought to stop and look at these treasures. Ah, but Troutbirder and Mrs. T know better.
ReplyDeleteI love ladyslipper but haven't seen any this year.
ReplyDeleteThat is Wonderful!!!! Worth a trip for sure! I'll have to check the map. :-)
ReplyDeleteSomeone that was up there for a first time just saw these beauties and remarked how beautiful the prairie was
ReplyDeleteThey are truly gorgeous flowers and so like a slipper. As your last photo suggests, we should get down on our knees more often to show our appreciation for them and the rest of Creation.
ReplyDeleteThey are truly gorgeous flowers and so like a slipper. As your last photo suggests, we should get down on our knees more often to show our appreciation for them and the rest of Creation.
ReplyDeleteSuch gorgeous blooms! I enjoyed seeing the midwestern cousins of our Maine lady's-slippers. It was also nice to see your wife's smile.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous find! I enjoy visiting prairie sites, but one this large--and that has never been tilled--must be quite impressive.
ReplyDelete