Native Orchids blooming in Cheesequake State Park

I ignored my duties on Mother's Day in order to attend a field trip to Cheesequake State Park, where a local guided me to the blooming Cypripedium acaule.

The two main colonies are fenced in to prevent illegal poaching.  However, this year the plants are doing so well, that many have germinated outside of the fences; necessitating watching where you step, so you do not trample them.

Due to camera problems I went back on Monday, and having a better understanding of what I was looking for, I found a 3rd colony that had no fencing.  That helped me to obtain a number of close-up photos.

I grew up on a farm surrounded by woods on eastern Long Island and every spring I would search one part of the woods for the Lady Slippers that grew there. It was always a thrill to find these elusive specimens. Thanks for sharing.

I looked this flower up on Wiki to learn more about it and your photos are better than the photos on the wiki page for sure. Just lovely! Another flower and park I will have to add to our NJ places to explore list.

CompassRose said:

I looked this flower up on Wiki to learn more about it and your photos are better than the photos on the wiki page for sure. Just lovely! Another flower and park I will have to add to our NJ places to explore list.

Thanks,

Blooming time is 2nd & 3rd week of May.  Go to the main parking lot at Hook Lake.  Take the boardwalk across the marsh, and go straight on the path on the other side.  The fenced colonies are on the right hand side, about 150 yards in.  I found a lot of plants outside of the enclosures on the right side, and a few on the left side.

High Point State Park has some by now.