Cypripedium calceolus - Lady's Slipper Orchid - (Orchidaceae)

Lady's Slipper Orchid

So rare in Britain that it is only known to exist in a single site in Yorkshire, this large and very beautiful orchid is still found in small quantities in some European countries, including Slovenia.

The decline of this species in Britain and elsewhere has no doubt been accelerated by orchid collectors, although it is doubtful whether this orchid was ever plentiful, even in the limestone regions of the Pennines where it once occupied several sites.

In recent years a re-introduction programme has been carried out at Gait Barrows National Nature Reserve in Lancashire. This programme which is jointly funded between Natural England and the Sainsburys Foundation has been very successful and there are now many flowering plants which can be visited by the public. The best time to go is in the first half of June.

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