The flower is composed of two separate parts which bees have to crawl inside of in order to obtain nectar. This means they have a confined space that better insures the plant is fertilized. The pouch starts as a light color and gradually turns darker as it ages
The Pink Lady's Slipper tends to grow in abundance in a limited area, flowering from April into July. The plant does not not transplant well as a small change in the light or type of soil will kill the plant. Cut flowers do not hold up well. If you find a patch, enjoy them where they grow.
Bullpasture Mt., in the top of the hollow leading up from the river just downstream from the suspension bridge, contained moccasin flowers every several hundred square feet. There must have been thousands in that hollow with colonies standing in the center of the trail. Early spring.