A pair of wild mountain lady’s slipper orchids emerge gracefully from the shaded forest floor, their distinctive white pouches and twisted, brownish petals drawing the eye amid the green understory. These striking orchids are part of a fascinating group known for their unique pollination strategy: the pouch-shaped flowers temporarily trap visiting insects, ensuring they come into contact with the plant’s reproductive structures before being released. Mountain lady’s slippers prefer cool, moist habitats and often grow in mossy, humus-rich soils beneath conifer or mixed forests. They are slow to mature, sometimes taking several years to flower from seed, and their presence signals a healthy, undisturbed forest ecosystem. The delicate combination of shape, color, and ecological adaptation makes them one of the most intriguing and rare wildflowers of North American mountain forests. Photographer: Sean Neilson