Cypripedium californicum
California lady's-slipper
(c) Roger Raiche, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orchidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Cypripedium californicum (California lady's-slipper) is a native California herb in the Orchidaceae family, recognized by white lip, tall stature, and multiple flowers.
California lady's-slipper is a California native perennial ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, western Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada, and northwestern San Francisco Bay area in streambanks, moist slopes, and conifer forests at elevations of 50 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this orchid produces distinctive white and green flowers with a white slipper-shaped lip surrounded by green to yellow-green petals and sepals. Growing 8 to 130 centimeters tall with 5 to 12 alternate leaves ranging from elliptic to lanceolate, it forms an open inflorescence with 4 to 20 flowers. Its leaves vary from lower elliptic to upper lanceolate shapes, measuring 5 to 15 centimeters long and positioned alternately along the stem. The plant features a unique white staminode with a green stripe, adding to its delicate and intricate floral structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; distinguished by white lip, tall stature, and multiple flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Streambanks, moist slopes, fens, partial shade to full sun, mixed-evergreen or conifer forest
Elevation: 50-2200 m
California counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Plumas, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Sonoma, Trinity, Marin, San Francisco, Shasta, Lassen, Nevada, Butte
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Cypripedium californicum blooms Apr-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
How to tell it apart
vs Calypso: Cypripedium has a large inflated slipper lip and several leaves along a leafy stem; Calypso (fairy slipper) has a single basal leaf and a smaller pink lip that is spotted and whiskered.; vs Epipactis: Cypripedium has a hollow pouch-shaped lip and a shield-like staminode; Epipactis (stream orchid) has an open cup-and-tongue lip with no inflated pouch.; vs Platanthera: Cypripedium's lip is an inflated slipper; Platanthera (bog orchids) has a small lip drawn back into a nectar spur, with many small flowers in a spike.; vs Corallorhiza: Cypripedium is green with broad pleated leaves; Corallorhiza (coralroot) is leafless and non-green (saprophytic) with a flat, notched or spotted lip.; vs Cephalanthera: Cypripedium has a showy inflated yellow slipper lip; Cephalanthera (phantom orchid) is entirely white and waxy with an erect flower and a small, non-pouched lip.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cypripedium californicum native to California?
Yes. Cypripedium californicum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cypripedium californicum bloom?
Cypripedium californicum blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Cypripedium californicum grow?
Cypripedium californicum occurs in Del Norte, Humboldt, Plumas, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Sonoma, Trinity, Marin and other counties, at elevations of 50-2200 m.
What plant family does Cypripedium californicum belong to?
Cypripedium californicum is in the Orchidaceae family, genus Cypripedium.
Is Cypripedium californicum rare or endangered?
Cypripedium californicum carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.