Cypripedium calceolus, known as the lady’s slipper orchid, is one of the largest orchid species in Europe.
It is a rhizomatous plant that grows between 20 and 60 cm in length. Its flowers are large and highly distinctive, and it gets its name from the shape of its labellum, which is hollow and swollen like a slipper.
To achieve pollination, it deceives insects, which become trapped inside its labellum. When attempting to escape, they brush against the stamens and leave carrying pollen.
In Germany, it grows mainly in Bavaria, where it is included on the Red List of threatened species.
This illustration is part of my personal project Flora und Fauna des Deutschland.
TECHNIQUE: Digital
SOFTWARE: Adobe Photoshop / Procreate
YEAR OF CREATION: 2026
PERSONAL PROJECT: Flora und Fauna des Deutschland