By Mike Templeton
There is a lot going on in the country and in the world right now, enough to overwhelm anyone. We do not seem to be running short of reasons for anxiety right now. While the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition would never advocate hiding from facts, we do advocate taking some time to breathe and decompress. When it comes to finding a measure of peace and relieving anxiety, there are few things more effective than a walk in the woods. A recent study at the Harvard Medical School demonstrated that the therapeutic benefits of walking in nature are so powerful that many doctors are prescribing a 45 minute walk in nature in the same way they prescribe medical interventions for stress and anxiety. If you need something to bring you into the woods, we are in the thick of spring wild flower season, and we are rolling into peak season to search for the holy grail of forest wild flowers: the Lady’s Slipper.
They say as we get older that bird watching creeps up on you. What has crept up on me is searching for wildflowers in the spring. The woods are now teeming with Trillium, the May Apples are just starting to bloom, and other more familiar flowers are all over the forests in and around greater Cincinnati. In southern Ohio and in the Appalachian region, we are blessed with some of the most stunning and elusive wildflowers nature has to offer. The Lady’s Slipper ranges from a soft yellow that can make it difficult to see against the forest floor to a glaring pink that will stand out against anything. These wild orchids are worth the effort. There are multiple subspecies of Lady’s Slippers that range all over the United States. In Ohio, you are most like to find Cypripedium reginae. These are pink with white striations along the bulb of the bloom. I know I am from Ohio, and I have my biases, but this really is one of the most beautiful Lady’s Slippers you can find. Ohio is also home to a common yellow variety often called the Showy Lady’s Slipper, or Cypripedium parviflorum. These are the only variety I have found in wild areas. More about that below.
As it happens, among the multiple varieties of Lady’s Slippers, Kentucky has its own special breed. Cypripedium kentuckiense blooms across eastern Kentucky, into the southernmost reaches of Appalachia, and it can even be found as far west as Texas. This breed of Lady’s Slipper is obviously a hardy sort, and although it ranges far, the range is not continuous. It pops up in patches across these regions. The fact that Lady’s Slippers as a species tend to grow and bloom like this is one of the reasons they are so difficult to find. The Kentucky Lady’s Slipper is an extremely pale yellow, and like most of the other species, it hides under its leaves. However, the flower is hard to miss once you start spotting them since it pokes out from underneath.
To find Lady’s Slippers you are going to need to head out to one of the many magnificent nature preserves that surround greater Cincinnati. Some of these are a bit of a haul, but they are worth the trip. I will let you in on one of my secret spots. Eulett Center at the Edge of Appalachia Nature Preserve is in West Union, Ohio in Adams County. This is a trek into Appalachian Ohio that is well worth your time. Eulett Center is part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail that runs across the country, making its pass through Ohio. The surrounding nature preserve, 20,000 acres of woods, prairie, ravines, and slopes, is stunning on its own. It contains a vast array of native plants, some of which have almost disappeared in other parts of the region. There are several trails at Eulett that range from short, 2-mile loops to longer trails of about four to five miles. While the trails are definitely of the day-hike variety, some of them can be a little challenging since there are some long climbs and stretches where the trail narrows along the edges of hillsides. That said, the hillsides are where I found the Lady’s Slippers. Stopping along the hillside, I spotted one just up the hill from the trail. Once I found one, I found dozens. It is as if our eyes are not made to see them, but once we lock in, we see them all around. It is a miraculous site. As a side note, Eulett is also the only place I have spotted a bobcat. It is a supreme example of wild Ohio.
For those who cannot do the more challenging hikes, Cedar Bog in Urbana, Ohio has one of the highest concentrations of Lady’s Slippers and other wild orchids in Ohio. The trail through Cedar Bog is a boardwalk which makes it accessible to just about anyone. Cedar Bog, as it turns out, is not a bog at all. It is a fen. Bogs back up, fens flow out, and Cedar Bog flows out. But it has been called a bog for so long, it does not make much sense to change the name at this point. At any rate, the boardwalk trail threads through and over the marshy ground. Sometimes the vegetation reaches over the boardwalk and forms a canopy. In addition to wild orchids, Cedar Bog is home to some of the rarest Ohio native plants in the state. Another advantage to Cedar Bog is that there are staff members on site to direct you to where things are blooming at any given time. I found them to be not only helpful but supremely proud to show off where they are lucky enough to spend their days.
The Lady’s Slipper is elusive. They are difficult to find, but they are worth the effort. Even if you do not find Lady’s Slippers, the woods surrounding greater Cincinnati are alive with wildflowers right now. The Snow Trillium is just now giving way to the May Apple, and the Virginia Bluebells line all the creeks and most of the trails. I know of no better way to screw my head back on straight than a long walk in the woods. Whether you find Lady’s Slippers or not, you will come out a happier person for having gone to nature for a wildflower walk. It is a good bet you will run into someone from the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition out there among the Oaks, Cedars, Buckeyes, and Lady’s Slippers.
More information on Cedar Bog can be found at this link: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/cedar-bog-state-nature-preserve.
More information on Eulett Center can be found at this link: https://www.nps.gov/places/eulett-center-nature-preserve.htm.
Michael Templeton is a writer, and independent scholar. He is the author of The Chief of Birds: A Memoir published with Erratum Press and Impossible to Believe, published by Iff Books. He is also the author of Collected Apoems, forthcoming from LJMcD Communications and the awaiting of awaiting: a novella, with Nut Hole Publishing. Check out his profile in UACC’s Cultural Directory. He has published numerous articles and essays on contemporary culture and works of creative non-fiction as well as experimental works and poetry. He lives in West Milton, Ohio with his wife who is an artist.