Calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa)! Also called fairy slipper or Venus's slipper, this delicate native spring flower is a special treat to see. If you are lucky enough to spot one, tread lightly—the Calypso orchid is considered vulnerable to extirpation or extinction. They are highly susceptible to even slight disturbances—trampling and picking are some of the primary reasons for its rapid decline in some areas. You won’t see Calypso orchids on high traffic trails frequented by people and dogs, and picking the flower will kill it—the roots are so delicate they will break at the slightest pull on the stem. Other stressors are logging and overabundant deer.

Calypso orchids grow in sheltered areas with little herbaceous competition—they especially like to put down roots in duff, the soft forest floor made up decomposing leaves, needles, twigs, bark, and other organic matter. They depend on bumblebees for pollination, and require a specific soil fungi! The genus Calypso derives its name from the Ancient Greek word meaning “to conceal” or “to hide”—in Greek mythology, Calypso, “she who conceals,” was a nymph who lived on the island of Ogygia.