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FLOWER EMBLEMS OF THE PROVINCES
MARCH 2001– P.E.I.

PINK LADY'S SLIPPER (Cypripidium acaule)

Pink Lady's Slipper

History:

  • Blythe Hurst, Sr., a naturalist, is credited with encouraging the government of PEI to adopt the Lady's slipper as the flower emblem of the province. A species of Lady's Slipper, Cypripidium hirsutum or Showy Lady's Slipper became the official flower in 1947. In 1952, a new bill was passed making all varieties of Lady's Slippers the official flower emblems. The Pink Lady's Slipper, also known as Moccasin-Flower, was finally designated the official flower in 1965 as it was more prevalent in the province than the other varieties. A prominent roadway in P.E.I., Lady Slipper Scenic Drive, is named after the wildflower.
  • The characteristics of P.E.I.'s soil are a fine, sandy loam texture, well-drained. P.E.I. declared this soil, now known as the Charlottetown Series, to be the official soil in 1998. The Canadian Society of Soil Science is active in encouraging other provinces to adopt a soil as part of their official emblems.

    • Feathered Friend Emblem Of the Province

    		 Blue Jay
    Blue Jay

    Pink Lady's Slipper Faqs:

  • The Pink Lady's Slipper is a native wild orchid prevalent along the Atlantic coasts of Canada and the US. Its habitat also extends through southern Canada, the northern US, into northern Alberta and even into the southern part of the Northwest Territories. It can be found in wooded areas with sandy, slightly acidic soils. It seems to thrive under both moist and dry conditions. The Lady's slipper prefers light to moderate shade. In P.E.I. it flourishes beneath beechwood, spruce, and pine trees. It is also the only Lady's Slipper with a completely pink lip.
  • Pink Lady's Slipper is a non-woody (herbaceous) perennial plant categorized as "stemless". Heavily ribbed leaves are large - up to 8" in length - and are paired at the base of the plant. Flower stalks will bear a single flower and can reach 1 foot in height. The plant flowers in late May and June. The 2.5" flower petals are formed in the shape of a pouch that resembles a slipper, with sepals and side petals.
  • Lady's Slippers are pollinated when insects enter the front of the lip, and then must brush against the stigma of the flower in order to exit the flower at the base of the lip. Seed capsules then ripen during the summer, split open, and the seeds are tossed into the wind. The seeds must have the right growing conditions and be in the presence of a symbiotic fungus in order to germinate. It may take several years of growth before the new seedling will flower. The parent plants often lie dormant for a year or two after producing seeds.
  • Since Lady's Slippers are slow to grow, propagate, and regenerate it is illegal to pick a native Lady's Slipper in P.E.I.
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