Flower profile

Showy lady's slipper

Cypripedium reginae

Showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae) is a flowering plant in the Orchidaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

★ Official state flower of Minnesota (1902)Native to Minnesota

Showy lady's slipper is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Minnesota it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.

24states where USDA records it

1,218MN sightings*

3,632U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Minnesota

🏅

Minnesota's official state flower since 1902. Visit the Minnesota page → ^{Minn. Stat. § 1.142} The lady's slipper was named state flower in 1902; a 1967 law specified the showy pink and white species.

Quick look

Cypripedium reginae, known as the showy lady's slipper, pink lady's-slipper, or the queen's lady's-slipper, is a rare lady's-slipper orchid native to northern North America. Although never common, this plant has vanished from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It is the state flower of Minnesota.
From Wikipedia's article Cypripedium reginae, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 24 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Minnesota. ^NatureServe
In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,218 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #101 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Minnesota, most flowering sightings come in June–July.

Flowering records by month in Minnesota (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (586 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S1), CT (S1), IA (S2), IL (S1), KY (SX), MA (S2), MD (SH), MO (S2), ND (S2), NH (S1), NJ (S1), OH (S2), PA (S1), TN (S1), VA (S1), WV (S1). (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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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 showy lady's slipper in 24 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Morrison, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Polk, Ramsey, Rice, Roseau, Scott, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Winona, Wright.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 308 counties across 23 states; the most are in Michigan (58), Wisconsin (50), Minnesota (43).

Other Cypripedium on Bloomipedia (3): Pink lady's slipper, Yellow lady's slipper, Mountain 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 Minnesota flowers

Common milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

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🌼 Blooms in MN: June–July

Bloodroot

Sanguinaria canadensis

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🌼 Blooms in MN: April–May

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Arisaema triphyllum

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🌼 Blooms in MN: May–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CYRE6.
iNaturalist, Cypripedium reginae: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Cypripedium reginae (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Minn. Stat. § 1.142: Minnesota state flower.
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Cypripedium reginae (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: F. LaBry via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.