# Fairy-slipper (*Calypso bulbosa*) The Fairy-slipper is a beautiful flower that looks like a tiny slipper! It grows in the forest and has lovely pink and white colors that make it special and magical. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Calypso Orchid ![Fairy-slipper](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/25081/medium.jpg) Photo: J Brew, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/25081) ## Appearance The Fairy-slipper is a small, striking orchid with a single pink to magenta flower. Its lower petal forms a distinctive pouch, often spotted with purple and fringed with yellow hairs. A single green, corrugated leaf appears earlier and withers before blooming. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Orchidaceae - **Genus:** Calypso ## Interesting facts - It takes special fungi to help the tiny seeds sprout and grow into a plant! - Its name comes from a mythical Greek nymph who lived in secret! - This orchid grows a single leaf in fall that survives winter to feed the spring flower! - Unlike most flowers, it offers no nectar, tricking pollinators with its beautiful looks! ## Special abilities - **Tricky Temptation:** Fairy-slipper flowers mimic nectar-rich plants, tricking bees into pollinating them without offering a reward! - **Underground Hideaway:** Fairy-slipper has a bulb-like corm that allows it to survive harsh winters hidden beneath the soil. - **Fungal Foodie:** Fairy-slipper depends on a special underground fungus to help it absorb vital nutrients, especially when young. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-20 cm - **Spread:** 5-10 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Two-Form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — visits flowers, seeking a deceptive nectar reward - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses its leaves and flowers when abundant - **Eaten by:** Grey Field Slug (*Deroceras reticulatum*) — may browse its leaves and flowers on the forest floor ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't pick the flowers, so they can keep growing! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fairy-slipper? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Fairy-slipper? 5-20 cm ### How wide does Fairy-slipper spread? 5-10 cm ### How big are the flowers on Fairy-slipper? 2-4 cm ### When does Fairy-slipper bloom? Spring ### Is Fairy-slipper edible? No ### Is Fairy-slipper toxic? None ### What is Fairy-slipper's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/armstrong-redwoods-state-natural-reserve) — California, US · State Park - [Benbow Lake State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/benbow-lake-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park - [Cut Bank Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cut-bank-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Independence](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/independence) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood - [Telluride Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/telluride-historic-district) — Colorado, US · Historic District - [Valhalla Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/valhalla-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Fairy-slipper](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fairy-slipper) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Fairy-slipper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fairy-slipper)