Showy lady's slippers in northern Minnesota

Cypripedium reginae

Showy lady's slippers usually bloom from early June to mid-July in northern Minnesota, with the best color from mid-June into late June.

early June – mid-July Best: mid-June into late June Out of season

The show usually starts around early June. Check back closer to the season.

Based on reports from iNaturalist naturalists. 578 flowering reports from Minnesota shape this curve. The shaded band marks the best weeks; the dashed line is this week.

Where to see them

Minnesota's state flower is a wild orchid that takes years to bloom and can outlive the person who found it. Late June along the byway ditches is the reliable show — look, don't pick; it's protected by state law.

Lady Slipper Scenic Byway (Minnesota Highway 39, Chippewa National Forest)
Big Bog State Recreation Area
Itasca State Park

We name public reserves, parks, and roads only — never exact pins, never private land.

Updated August 14, 2026. Bloom timing varies with the year's weather — the curve shows the usual rhythm, and in-season updates sharpen it.