Wild Orchids in Alaska.

To say my little girl loves wildflowers would be an understatement.  She gets SO excited to find flowers in the woods.  When the first lupine bloomed here at our house, I honestly thought she had found a real live fairy or something.  She just could not contain her excitement.

Luckily, Grama and Grampa are pretty knowledgeable about the local wildflowers.  Last summer they showed Ever a small patch of "Lady Slippers" growing behind the sawmill at their house.  That is the only place they have found them growing, one very small cluster.  They are in bloom right now and every time we go up there we have to peek at them.  They are truly exquisite, so it is no surprise that they are in the orchid family.  I think they are called the "Eastern Lady Slipper."  Apparently 25 different species of orchids grow wild in Alaska.  Just incredible and so special to get to see one.

When trying to find the exact name of this particular one I found this written on a website:

Most orchids in Idaho rely on soil fungi for germination and growth because orchid seeds lack the food reserves found in ordinary seeds. The microscopic seeds rely on the fungi for nutrients but the seeds and plants also need certain soil moisture and sunlight/shade conditions. Because of the specific requirements needed for orchids to survive, finding an orchid can be extremely rewarding, whether in Alaska or Idaho. 

From http://goexploreit.blogspot.com/2012/06/orchids-arent-just-tropical-flowers.html