Lady Slippers Blooming in Jay Cooke State Park

It's Minnesota's State Flower

CARLTON, Minn.- It’s a rare sight to see.  The Lady Slippers at Jay Cooke State Park are in bloom.

A few of Minnesota’s state flower, Lady Slippers, were transferred to Jay Cooke State Park, when a road construction project put them in jeopardy two years ago. Now, the state park has put them towards the front of the park where people can see, and the pink flowers have blossomed.

“I see people all the time, they’re like, I’ve lived in Minnesota my entire life and I’ve never seen our state flower, the showy lady slipper, or I’ve never seen a lady slipper at all, so a lot of people are very thrilled that they are right there,” said Kristine Hiller, the Naturalist at Jay Cooke State Park.

Lady Slippers are a protected species and their flowers can take up to 50 years to bloom.