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Species: Calypso Orchid aka Fairy Slipper (Calypso bulbosa var. Americana)
Habitat: Moist Mixed Conifer Forest from ~8,000-11,000’, Bogs. Prefers heavy duff, moss, and specific fungi in soil.
Location: Sandoval County, New Mexico
Public Land: Santa Fe National Forest near San Pedro Parks Wilderness
Description: Calypso orchids are master illusionists of the forest floor, using cunning rather than nectar to lure their pollinators. Their delicate, nodding flowers lure in pollinators— mainly naive queen bumblebees who are the first to emerge in the spring, with its bright colors, yellow hairs, and sweet smell— in search of a sweet reward that isn’t there—they have no nectar. Eventually, the individual bee will figure this out after visiting a few flowers, but often not before they complete the task of pollinating the flowers. This “floral trickery” reveals the intricate and sometimes surprising ways plants and pollinators have evolved together in nature’s endless adaptations.
In Greek mythology, Calypso is the enchanting sea nymph who held the hero Odysseus captive on her island for years. With her haunting songs and timeless beauty, she lured sailors into a world suspended between reality and dream—offering immortality and escape, yet binding them with invisible chains. Calypso’s island was both paradise and prison, a place where time softened and hearts were caught in the delicate tension between freedom and enchantment.
Prints: Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton rag paper with a warm or bright white, textured surface, archival quality.
Species: Calypso Orchid aka Fairy Slipper (Calypso bulbosa var. Americana)
Habitat: Moist Mixed Conifer Forest from ~8,000-11,000’, Bogs. Prefers heavy duff, moss, and specific fungi in soil.
Location: Sandoval County, New Mexico
Public Land: Santa Fe National Forest near San Pedro Parks Wilderness
Description: Calypso orchids are master illusionists of the forest floor, using cunning rather than nectar to lure their pollinators. Their delicate, nodding flowers lure in pollinators— mainly naive queen bumblebees who are the first to emerge in the spring, with its bright colors, yellow hairs, and sweet smell— in search of a sweet reward that isn’t there—they have no nectar. Eventually, the individual bee will figure this out after visiting a few flowers, but often not before they complete the task of pollinating the flowers. This “floral trickery” reveals the intricate and sometimes surprising ways plants and pollinators have evolved together in nature’s endless adaptations.
In Greek mythology, Calypso is the enchanting sea nymph who held the hero Odysseus captive on her island for years. With her haunting songs and timeless beauty, she lured sailors into a world suspended between reality and dream—offering immortality and escape, yet binding them with invisible chains. Calypso’s island was both paradise and prison, a place where time softened and hearts were caught in the delicate tension between freedom and enchantment.
Prints: Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton rag paper with a warm or bright white, textured surface, archival quality.