Flower profile
Mountain lady's-slipper
Cypripedium montanum
Mountain lady's-slipper (Cypripedium montanum) is a flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.
Mountain lady's-slipper is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Montana it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Montana
Quick look
Cypripedium montanum is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. It is commonly known as large lady's slipper, mountain lady's slipper, white lady's slipper as well as moccasin flower. This latter is also the common name of Cypripedium acaule.
- It belongs to the Orchidaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Montana. NatureServe
- In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 635 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #68 among the 128 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Montana, most flowering sightings come in June–July.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Montana
- No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Montana.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AK (S1), WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records mountain lady's-slipper in 7 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming.
Montana counties with USDA records: Phillips.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 68 counties across 7 states; the most are in Oregon (23), California (17), Washington (14).
Other Cypripedium on Bloomipedia (3): Pink lady's slipper, Yellow lady's slipper, Showy lady's slipper.
More from the Orchidaceae family (23 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Crane-fly orchid, Downy rattlesnake plantain, Broad-leaved helleborine, Western rattlesnake plantain, Spotted coralroot, Showy orchis, Putty root, White bog orchid.
More Montana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CYMO2.
- iNaturalist, Cypripedium montanum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cypripedium montanum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Cypripedium montanum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Kate via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.