logo Calflora, a 501c3 non-profit
Taxon  Report  
SIGN IN - REGISTER
Cypripedium montanum  Douglas ex Lindl.
Mountain lady's slipper
© 2018 Timothy Boomer
© 2018 Timothy Boomer
© 2019 Julie Kierstead Nelson
© Matt Berger
© 2013 David popp
© 2023 Amy Rachkowski
© 2023 Amy Rachkowski
© 2021 Karen Swift
© 2017 Julie Kierstead Nelson
© 2015 Karen Swift
© 2015 Karen Swift
© 2012 Spencer Dykstra
Cypripedium montanum is a perennial herb (rhizomatous) that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
California Rare Plant Rank: 4.2 (limited distribution).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~243 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Cypripedium
Family: Orchidaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Toxicity: Possible skin irritation from touching the leaf or stem of this plant.

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS + POWO

Information about  Cypripedium montanum from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (CYMO2)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range: Cypripedium montanum can be found in the northwestern United States and western Canada. It is reported from California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Alaska.[4][5] It is usually found at high elevation in open woods and subalpine slopes. Meriwether Lewis noted this species during his expedition while in Western Montana near Lolo Creek. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/29/2025).