By Doreen Tyler
Staff writer
A cluster of pink Showy Lady’s Slippers, the state flower of Minnesota, recently turned up missing from land in Milford Township. Now, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the culprit.
The flowers, first noticed missing a couple of weeks ago by a township resident, grew on public land in Milford Township.
The state has regulated the collection and commercial sale of the Showy Lady’s Slipper since 1925. By Minnesota statute, anyone wanting to collect lady’s slippers and certain other wildflowers, need to obtain written permission from the landowner.
In this case, permission would need to have been granted by the Milford Township Board. Permission was never granted.
Last Thursday, Brown County Sheriff Investigator Leah Krenz reported a witness had come forward who had seen a white Chevrolet Celebrity at the site of the theft. The witness stated he or she had seen a person digging up the flowers, but didn't realize at the time what they were actually seeing.
Showy Lady’s Slippers are bright orchids that have one or two blossoms on a single stem. White petals sit on top of a white pouch (slipper) streaked with pink.
The lady's slipper grows in spruce and tamarack bogs, swamps, wet meadows, wet prairies, and cool, damp woods. Blooming from early June to mid-July, this species of orchid is uncommon in Minnesota and their population can be hurt by wetland drainage, road construction, tree cuttings and illegal picking and uprooting.
The penalty for theft of the Minnesota state flower is a misdemeanor, subject up to a $1,000 fine and/or 90 days in jail.
Anyone with information regarding the theft is asked to contact the Brown County Sheriff’s Office at 507-233-6700.
Essig, Minn. —
