Lady's Slipper Orchid in Cumbria

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LADY'S SLIPPER ORCHID

The Lady's Slipper Orchid was once quite widespread if rather local on the limestone of Westmorland and North Lancashire. Collection by Victorian gardeners led to its extinction in the wild in the region, although a few plants persisted in gardens. Nationally, the species was eventually reduced to just one wild colony in the Yorkshire Dales by the 1970's.

In 1983 The Sainsbury Orchid Project was set up at Kew to research methods of propagating orchids from seed.

Initially the Lady's Slipper was a hard one to crack as the symbiont fungus could not be found - without it the rate of growth of seedlings is greatly reduced. After many years of trials and research into different media and the techniques needed for weaning the seedlngs from sterile glass to compost, the people at Kew are now able to grow this orchid in quantity.

Gene sequencing of cultivated and wild plants have identified plants of British origin which are genetically different enough for inter-crossing - otherwise weak stock would result.

The first six seedlings germinated from seed gathered in 1987 were planted in the wild near Ingleton in 1989. One flowered for the first time in 2000 - 11 years later and typical of many orchid species.

Since then, large numbers of Lady's Slipper Orchids have been planted back in the wild. A joint project between Natural England and the Wildlife Trusts of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria is attempting to make the species as common in the region as it was in pre-Victorian times. In the coming years it should be possible to see Lady's Slipper Orchids in flower in May at many sites. One site where it is not thought necessary to keep it secret is Gait Barrows, the NNR just over the border in Lancashire, although the exact locations on the reserve are not being divulged and it may be some years before the first flower appears (if the slugs don't get them first)! The long standing specimen at Silverdale flowered well in 2008, despite being vandalised in previous years. It is now guarded round the clock during the flowering period and visitors are able to see this wonderful plant in its natural state.

In the wild pollination is effected by a small fly, which becomes trapped inside the huge lip. As there are only two ways out for the fly it's hairy back is forced to collect pollen and transfer it to another flower.

There are about 40 species of Lady's Slipper Orchid world-wide but this is the only one found in Europe. It's Latin name of Cypripedium calceolus translates as the little shoe of Venus.