There has always been something mysterious about the Lady's Slipper. It blooms in late May and early June, before many flowers are out. It hides in the shade, in moist areas where it is hidden from the view of many. It is usually gone by July 4, though on rare occasion I have seen them then. So I have always felt lucky when I happen to be in the area when they are blooming.
As a little girl, my mom would take me up the mountain in search of Lady's Slippers. We would tromp around, and one time Mom found a whole area full of them. Unfortunately, I haven't found that spot again. I know three places where they always bloom and yearly, I check for them. This year, they were just beginning to bloom when we were at the cabin the last time.
Marcia Cole, a cabin owner in the Canyon, used to know Jean Cusac, the woman who owned our cabin in the late 30's and early 40's, before Marcia's dad bought our cabin for a few years. Marcia said Jean knew where every Lady's Slipper bloomed and that she had actually seen black ones. The only black ones I have ever seen are the ones that have bloomed and withered into a black skeleton. But I would love sometime to be at the cabin during Lady's Slipper season and go in search of the black one. Until then, I will enjoy this mysterious flower each spring, knowing that I have had a chance to see one of the more secretive plants in the area.
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