Lady's Slipper Orchid Overview

The common name "lady's slipper" refers to the distinctive shape of these beautiful orchids, members of the genus Cypripediumthat are native to North America and Europe, as well as the Paphiopedilumspecies native to Southeast Asia. Other "slipper" orchid species are native to South America. Typically, the yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium calceolus var. pubescens(now called Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens) is used medicinally in Europe and North America. Cypripedium montanum, the rare mountain lady's slipper native to North America, is also wildcrafted (collected in the wild).

Many of the Cypripediumlady's slipper species are endangered and have proven very difficult to cultivate; even just collecting the flower alone may be enough to kill the plant, and transplantation from the wild is rarely successful. Alternatively, some herbalists recommend using the roots of another species called stream orchid or helleborine ( Epipactis helleborine), which has the same purported effects, is more widespread, and is relatively easy to cultivate. ¹ Traditionally, lady's slipper root was classified as a "nervine," indicating its purported healing and calming effect on the nerves. This term, however, is no longer used in medicine today.

The optimum oral dosage of lady's slipper is not known. A typical recommendation for Cyrpripediumspecies is 3 to 9 g of root or 2 to 6 ml of a tincture of fresh or dried root. ² For muscle pain relief, a topical application of fresh or dried roots mashed into a poultice or plaster is sometimes used. ³

1. Moore M. Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Santa Fe, NM: Red Crane Books; 1993:233–235.
2. Tierra M. The Way of Herbs: Fully Updated with the Latest Developments in Herbal Science. New York, NY: Pocket Books; 1998:26,150.
3. Tierra M. The Way of Herbs: Fully Updated with the Latest Developments in Herbal Science. New York, NY: Pocket Books; 1998:26,150.