Cypripedium reginae, or showy lady's slipper, is a native Canadian orchid whose range extends from Saskatchewan into the maritimes, and south into the midwestern and eastern US. It was for a long time my favorite plant in the world, and it is still very high up there on my list. This is not the nicest reginae I have flowered but it remains very pleasant. I bought it in leaf at the OSA show last weekend; it flowered out very quickly (as Cyps do). It was forced out of dormancy to bloom much earlier than it normally does. In pot culture it is possible to do this by altering the plant's growth cycle. I will likely keep it this way, rather than planting it out, so that I can show it every year.
