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Kentucky Ladys Slipper

Cypripedium kentuckiense

Found in sandy ravine bottoms and springhead seeps along small streams. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

28
Good

Native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
Up to about 3 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full shade
Soil moisture
Moist to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
April to May
Fruiting season
June to August

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 1 Mississippi county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

Seeps and springs

Places where groundwater keeps the soil or rock wet, such as seepage slopes and spring runs.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Mississippi. Shared habitat, not food. 90 animals.

All wildlife of Mississippi

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Cypripedium

  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Paralobesia cypripediana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Cypripedium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Orchidaceae
Flower color
White, red, yellow or brown
Fruit begins
June
Fruit ends
August

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Kentucky Moccasin Flower

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSH
Global rankNot available
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources