…Fore, I’m Pink Lady Slipper
nature’s wonder of wonders
to remain in stately splendor
in my homeland of the wild
the woodlands lonely child
an Orchid of pink flower…
grandeur is of my leafless flowering stalk
where birds squawk in trees
rustling leaves; talking their
talk, whispering of the lonely
child living in the wild…
By D A Baugh
Read the entire poem at http://allpoetry.com/poem/6669493
This rare orchid is native to Eastern North America; they grow in shady forests under pines, oaks, sweet gum, red Maple, Sassafras, and greenbrier. It is listed as Unusual, Endangered, or vulnerable in Georgia, Illinois, New York and Tennessee. It is almost impossible to transplant
because it takes a special organism in the soil for them to thrive. Many people have tried to transplant them with harmful effect…the plants slowly die due to the lack. It is highly recommended that you only take pictures of these delicate orchids to remove from the forest….
NOT the plant itself.
O ka u la su lo (the Cherokee name for the Lady’s Slipper) was considered a sacred plant by the Cherokee and other eastern woodlands peoples. They used it for medicine for the treatment of anxiety, nervousness, and especially insomnia. It was also included in 1 or 2 formulas for its antispasmodic activity.
In modern herbal medicine the root is considered antispasmodic, nervine, sedative and tonic. The root has been used in the treatment of nervous complaints, menstrual disorders, stomach aches, kidney and urinary disorders, and venereal diseases. An infusion of the fall harvested tubers is used in these treatments.
Pink Lady’s Slipper is the provincial flower of Prince Edwards Island, and Nova Scotia, Canada