Cypripedium montanum
Mountain lady's-slipper
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orchidaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Cypripedium montanum (Mountain lady's-slipper) is a native California herb in the Orchidaceae family, recognized by distinctive twisted dark brown petals and white lip.
Mountain lady's-slipper is a California native perennial ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, southwestern San Francisco Bay Area, and Modoc Plateau in moist areas, dry slopes, and mixed-evergreen or conifer forest at elevations of 200 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from March to June, this orchid produces striking flowers with a large white lip slipper-shaped flower and red-brown to dark-brown twisted upper sepals and narrow, downcurved lateral petals. Growing 25 to 70 centimeters tall with an open flowering structure, the plant emerges with 4 to 6 alternate leaves. Its leaves are elliptic to ovate, measuring 5 to 18 centimeters long, typically arranged along the stem. The flower features a distinctive yellow to yellow-green staminode marked with red to purple spots, creating a complex and visually dramatic bloom.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinctive twisted dark brown petals and white lip
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist areas, dry slopes, mixed-evergreen or conifer forest
Elevation: 200-2200 m
California counties: Modoc, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Plumas, Trinity, Madera, Humboldt, Glenn, Del Norte, Mendocino, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Tehama
Outside California: to Alaska, Montana, Wyoming
Bloom period
Cypripedium montanum blooms Mar-Jun.
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 montanum native to California?
Yes. Cypripedium montanum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cypripedium montanum bloom?
Cypripedium montanum blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Cypripedium montanum grow?
Cypripedium montanum occurs in Modoc, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Plumas, Trinity, Madera, Humboldt, Glenn and other counties, at elevations of 200-2200 m.
What plant family does Cypripedium montanum belong to?
Cypripedium montanum is in the Orchidaceae family, genus Cypripedium.
Is Cypripedium montanum rare or endangered?
Cypripedium montanum 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.