Cypripedium candidum aka White Lady's Slipper

Cypripedium candidum is an orchid from North America. Its common name is small white lady's-slipper. It belongs to the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Its native range runs from southern Canada into the United States. It grows in the north-central and eastern parts of that country. Chicago Botanic Garden lists it as native to the Midwest. Kew places it in the temperate biome, a broad climate zone. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This plant is a perennial: it lives beyond one growing season. It has an upright form above ground. Kew calls it a rhizomatous geophyte. It has rhizomes, which are stems that grow below ground. These show how its growth below ground differs from its upright form. The supplied records give no height or spread at full size. They thus give no firm size guide for garden placement. They give no details of this species' leaves or stem surfaces.

The flowers are white, as the common name suggests. Chicago Botanic Garden lists three bloom periods for this species. These are May–June, July–August, and September–October. Together, these dates span May through October. The record does not say if it blooms throughout that span. Nor does it give a separate time of peak bloom. These dates do not mean it blooms for months without breaks. The supplied species records give no more flower or fruit details.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists full sun and part shade as suitable. It also calls for moist soil. These give the clearest growing guides for this species here. The same source lists USDA zones 4–5 for the plant. This range guides hardiness, but does not explain all its care needs. The supplied text gives no preferred soil texture or pH. It gives no plan for when to water. Nor does it say how well the plant copes with drought. The species records give no UK hardiness rating.

For gardens, the known traits include white flowers and upright perennial growth. Its Midwest roots add interest as a native plant there. The supplied records do not confirm specific uses in the landscape. Nor do they show how it relates to wildlife. They name no pests, diseases, edible parts, or toxic traits. These gaps do not prove that the plant is safe.