During this year’s monitoring period, scientists discovered a patch of moccasin flower, or pink lady’s slipper (Cypripedium acaule), growing in the Reedy Creek Nature Preserve. The pink lady’s slipper is a member of the orchid family and requires a special symbiotic relationship with a fungus in the soil to germinate and grow, making it difficult to reach maturity and often taking years to grow from seed to a mature plant. Pink lady’s slippers grow in a variety of habitats found in eastern United States forests. Most are found growing in mixed hardwood coniferous forests, in semi-open areas with well-drained soil. We are thrilled to see unique plants such as this thriving within the Reedy Creek Nature Preserve!