The pink and white lady’s slipper is the official state flower of Minnesota — a rare native orchid with a distinctive pouch-shaped bloom.

• Official flower: Pink and white lady’s slipper
• Scientific name: Cypripedium reginae
• Year adopted: 1902
• Native range: the northern U.S. and Canada

About the pink and white lady’s slipper

Minnesota adopted the showy lady’s slipper in 1902. One of the state’s rarest wildflowers, it can take up to sixteen years to produce its first flower and may live for decades. Its blooms pair white petals with an inflated pink-and-white pouch.

Where it grows

The lady’s slipper grows in wet meadows, bogs, and damp woods across northern Minnesota, blooming in early summer.

Minnesota state flower FAQs

What is the state flower of Minnesota?

Minnesota’s state flower is the pink and white lady’s slipper (Cypripedium reginae), which it adopted in 1902.

When did Minnesota adopt its state flower?

Minnesota designated the pink and white lady’s slipper as its official state flower in 1902.

Is Minnesota’s lady’s slipper protected?

Yes. The showy lady’s slipper is a protected native orchid in Minnesota, and it is illegal to pick or uproot it.

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