Just a quick FYI: This is a good time of year to find this cache. I went out this morning and all of the lady slippers are in bloom as well as several other woodland flowers!

I'll upload some pictures tomorrow - gotta go watch the exorcist now.

Just a quick FYI: This is a good time of year to find this cache. I went out this morning and all of the lady slippers are in bloom as well as several other woodland flowers!

I'll upload some pictures tomorrow - gotta go watch the exorcist now.

Thanks for the post - that is great information to have. When in season, there are also Lady Slippers at one of Parmachenee's caches at Fort Knox too.

Are you going to post the photos to the cache page?

I also know that there are many of those lady slippers nearby the last stage of YOP's Thornehead Challenge as well too.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a125/haffy6/cacheplaces311Large.jpg

Is it still illegal to "move" lady slippers?

Is it still illegal to "move" lady slippers?

I'm not sure, but I see them everywhere I go now a days.

I don't know about Maine, but it is in Mass; here in Maine they are on the 'threatened' list.

The reason that transplanting them isn't usually successful is because they have a really shallow root sytem that spreads out 18" or so around the plant. Often those roots are severed or damaged and damaged roots of these plants do not regenerate. The second problem is that they are often transplanted in the spring when they are ideally moved in the early fall when the leaves start to die or in the spring while still dormant. Last, even if transplanted into the right area (partially shaded, acidic soil) there is a certain soil fungus that needs to be present for the plant's seeds to germinate and perhaps to supply carbs to mature plants.

That is a beautiful shot Haffy.

For some reason I can't get the Nikon program to work on my computer. I'll have to load the pictures when I get home tonight.

I just found this on Maine.gov:
There are no laws prohibiting the collection of any plant species in the State of Maine. However, in the interest of perpetuating Maine's natural heritage we strongly advise against the collection of any rare plants.
(http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mnap/faqs/index.htm#rareplants)
From my own experiance:
Several years ago I transplanted a different woodland flower that was not supposed to be easily transplantable. I decided to base moving this plant on the Maine mobile home theory (move the entire home, not just the resident). I took as much of the area around it as I could (a circle about 24" diameter) and then collected a five gallon bucket worth's of the natural mulch in the area. This plant has thrived since then. In fact, it's doubled the amount of stems every spring. This spring I had 16 flowers, 15 more than when I got it.

That being said, I don't reccomend moving wild plants. I rationalized the heck out of this one before I did. Many of the lady slippers growing in the forest are now cultivated and sold bare root. They're very expensive though.

Did that fail to answer your question?

Hey, I just saw one of those near the top of my Halfmile cache.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee37/brdad/MIsc/DSCF6602Large.jpg

I don't know about Maine, but it is in Mass; here in Maine they are on the 'threatened' list.

The reason that transplanting them isn't usually successful is because they have a really shallow root sytem that spreads out 18" or so around the plant. Often those roots are severed or damaged and damaged roots of these plants do not regenerate. The second problem is that they are often transplanted in the spring when they are ideally moved in the early fall when the leaves start to die or in the spring while still dormant. Last, even if transplanted into the right area (partially shaded, acidic soil) there is a certain soil fungus that needs to be present for the plant's seeds to germinate and perhaps to supply carbs to mature plants.


Thanx for posting Trick or Treat. I know someone that transplanted them with the same success as you , using the same directions. I have White Lady Slippers as well .And as you said, they can be moved if done right.
The funny thing about that MA law, They don't let you transplant them but they're tearing up all kinds of woods and endangered plants with all the Building they allow. In Plymouth county alone, they tore up Acres and Acres of woods for new houses in North Middleboro and near the center of Middleboro, They marked off the clearing for the Big Casino.They rebuilt RT 44 to cut straight through the wooded areas to straighten out the Highway that normally wound it's way through wooded areas.

Go Figure!!!LOL!!!

Great shot Brdad.

Okay, I've just uploaded the pictures I got from the FNP in an album. How do I load them into the flower photo section?

Also, can anybody help identify this orb? I find these all the time in the woods. They dry a dull brown color.http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum/picture.php?albumid=13&pictureid=81

Looks like a gall. Is it an insect that burrowed into the plant and cause it to do that?

Check out this persons blog for more information on the orb. I had seen these before myself and thought they were just little crab apples or something.

http://www.lesjones.com/posts/002031.shtml

that is so cool i never knew that and i have seen so many both green and brown. thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Thank you thank you thank you!

I have wondered about that for years!

Also watch goldenrod stalks for insect gauls. Last year a friend and I went looking for these, and after maybe checking a thousand or so stalks we found one. Cut it open and there was the little worm like larvae.