Calypso bulbosa

Common Names

Fairy Slipper, Calypso Orchid, Venus's Slipper, Fairy Slipper Orchid, Bog Orchid, Calypso, Angel Slipper

Summary

Calypso bulbosa is a very small circumboreal orchid, about 10–20 cm tall, with a single basal leaf and a solitary pink to purple flower whose slipper-shaped lip bears yellow hairs; distinctive features include pink-to-purple petals and a white lip with spots, blooming from May to July in undisturbed northern montane forests and moist conifer forest floors with cool, shaded, acidic to neutral soils rich in decaying leaf litter, and germination relies on mycorrhizal fungi while pollination is deceptive, mainly by bumblebees. For cultivation, Calypso bulbosa prefers cool, moist, shaded conditions with loam that is moist but well-drained and soil pH acidic to neutral; indirect light and sheltered sites are recommended, with a humid mix of peat and bark when grown in cultivation, and propagation can proceed from seed or by carefully separating corms in early spring; it is hardy to zone 6–9 and is sensitive to disturbance, with wild harvesting discouraged and transplantation often difficult due to mycorrhizal dependencies.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-8 inches

Spread

4-8 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained loam soil rich in organic matter, pH 5.0–7.0.

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil.

Soil pH

5.0-7.0, acidic to neutral, lime-free soil

Bloom Color

Pink to purple

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

2–5 years to reach ultimate height.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees