Old Trunks was one of those kids that went to camp in late July every year. Every year I looked for the lady slipper which I had seen in the old books that belonged to my grand uncle, Olaf. I was always disappointed.
And then, I moved to Fargo and started fishing with my sweet Thomas in Minnesota. The land of the loon and the home of the lady slipper. The first one I saw was in a ditch! I couldn't believe it, I saw a lady slipper.
That is when I learned lady's slipper flowers from early June to mid-July. It flowers best in bright sunlight, although it will grow in semi-shaded areas. In its first year, this orchid grows only as tall as a pencil point. Each year, the lady's slipper may produce a half-million seeds, which are as fine as flour dust. This flower has a long life span; some may be 100 years old. They begin to bloom when the plant is fifteen years old.
Minnesota began protecting the plant in 1925; it is illegal to pick them. Connecticut have them listed as endangered species.
As you may know, they grow in marsh and bog like areas. There is a plant outside our bedroom window, yes, near the swamp and the croaking and peeping frogs. When it bloomed, I counted greater than 30 blossoms. I wonder how old it is? I wonder if anyone can tell me.
Do you know?
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