The lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) is the most beautiful orchid in the Plitvice Lakes National Park. It is usually found in deciduous and mixed forests as well as shrubs.
It is one of the slowest growing plants in the world, taking between six and eleven years to produce flowers and seeds. In order for the seed to sprout, the ground containing the seed must also contain a special type of fungus that provides nutrients needed for sprouting.
In Croatia, this plant is found in the area of Gorski Kotar and Lika. Only a few populations with a small number of individuals have been found in the Park area.
The employees of the Park’s expert service have been monitoring this species for years in order to determine any changes in the number and the population status, and to identify threats.