Flower Power at Eshqua Bog in Hartland
June 06, 2026
Eshqua Bog Natural Area in Hartland is about to put on a show.
Every year in mid-June, showy lady’s slipper orchids bloom, turning this natural area into a botanical sweet spot.
The orchids are typically white with a bright pink or magenta slipper or pouch, and two white petals above, giving them a delicate yet “showy” appearance.
Despite the name, Eshqua Bog isn’t technically a bog. It’s a rich fen, fed by groundwater through calcium-rich bedrock, which is ideal for orchids, ferns, and other uncommon plants. Bogs, meanwhile, are acidic, nutrient-poor, and rain-fed.
“Fens are a very unique Vermont system,” says Lynn McNamara of The Nature Conservancy, which co-owns Eshqua Bog with the Native Plant Trust. “There are not many places that have the calcium-rich bedrock that Vermont does.”
More than a scenic destination, Eshqua Bog also serves as a living laboratory for researchers working to protect Vermont’s rare plant species and delicate ecosystems.
-Showy lady’s slippers can be up to 2 inches long on tall, leafy stems, and can grow 1–2 feet high. | Courtesy photo
What Makes Showy Lady’s Slippers Special?
Showy lady’s slippers thrive in rich fens and other cool, moist, calcium-rich wetlands. Each blossom can be up to 2 inches long on tall, leafy stems, and can grow 1–2 feet high.
For whatever reason, Eshqua is the showy lady’s slippers’ favorite. And there are hundreds of them, maybe even thousands.”
People travel from all over just to see the blooms at Eshqua Bog from mid to late June. The orchid is considered extremely rare in places like Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
“Showy lady’s slippers are found in other fens and wetlands around the region. But for whatever reason, Eshqua is the showy lady’s slippers’ favorite. And there are hundreds of them, maybe even thousands,” McNamara says.
-A 1989 Valley News story about saving Eshqua Bog in Hartland.
A Grassroots Conservation Success Story
Eshqua Bog has been preserved for nearly 40 years thanks to a group of locals who dedicated themselves to protecting the area.
In the late 1980s, Eshqua Bog’s future was far from secure. It had been privately owned for years and enjoyed by the community. Then it was sold to a developer, and residents feared that Eshqua would be lost forever.
Hartland residents, including Graceann Ridlon, Lillian Marcotte, and Thelma Hewitt, along with the Hartland Nature Club, The Nature Conservancy, and the New England Wild Flower Society (now the Native Plant Trust), came together to save it.
Their grassroots effort succeeded in 1989, preserving Eshqua Bog for generations to come.
“There was a real sense that if we didn’t act, something special would be lost forever,” McNamara says. “People cared about this place and stepped up. That’s why it’s still here today.”
-Eshqua Bog’s boardwalk helps protect the area’s delicate habitat from being disturbed. | Courtesy photo
Protecting Vermont’s Native Orchids
Showy lady’s slippers are the main attraction at Eshqua Bog, but they aren’t Vermont’s rarest orchids.
Showy lady’s slippers are considered “Uncommon” in Vermont, but conservation efforts often focus on even rarer plants. These include orchids like the ram’s head lady slipper, Hooker’s orchid, and blunt-leaved bog orchid, according to Grace Glynn, a botanist with the State of Vermont.
Many of our rarest orchids are in decline because of climate change, habitat loss, and other factors that we don’t yet understand.”
Vermont uses a ranking system for orchids and other plants, from S1 (Critically Imperiled; very rare) and S2 (Imperiled; rare) to S3 (Uncommon), S4 (Apparently Secure), and S5 (Secure). This shows how rare or common each species is in the state.
For example, the ram’s head lady’s slipper is Critically Imperiled in Vermont. This means there are usually five or fewer known populations, and the species is at high risk of disappearing from the state.
Glynn says it’s important to protect all wild orchids from being disturbed, especially since many of Vermont’s rarest species are declining.
“We have over 50 native orchid species in Vermont, the majority of which are uncommon or rare, which is one reason why it’s important that people don’t dig orchids in the wild or collect their seeds,” she says. “Many of our rarest orchids are in decline because of climate change, habitat loss, and other factors that we don’t yet understand.”
You can get a close look at showy lady’s slippers by walking along Eshqua Bog’s boardwalk, which helps protect the delicate habitat from being disturbed.
-Eshqua Bog is monitored annually to check the population numbers of rare orchids. | Courtesy photo
A Living Laboratory for Conservation
Eshqua Bog is a botanical wonderland of cold-climate holdovers—small pockets of bog and a two acre fen—from the post-glacial era 10,000 years ago, according to The Nature Conservancy’s website.
It contains a diverse array of bog and fen plants: labrador tea, cotton grass, pitcher plants, showy lady’s slippers, larches and buckbean.
There was a real sense that if we didn’t act, something special would be lost forever.”
Researchers from the Native Plant Trust visit Eshqua Bog annually to monitor the population numbers of rare orchids, the ecological condition of the fen, and how climate change might be affecting orchids and other plants.
“We always try to get out there in June when the lady slippers are blooming,” says Erik Sechler, ecological programs coordinator for the Native Plant Trust. “That’s when we count and check the plots. It’s the best time to see what’s going on and catch any problems early.”
-Eshqua Bog is located in Hartland in Windsor County. | Courtesy photo
Science and Stewardship
It’s an impressive display of native plant diversity in a small area.”
At Eshqua, invasive species like wall-lettuce or bittersweet are cut back before they can take hold.
“We do a lot of hand-pulling,” Sechler explains. “If we see invasives, especially Mycelis muralis (wall-lettuce), the most abundant invasive plant at Eshqua Bog, we take them out right away.”
He says the showy lady’s slipper population at Eshqua has remained relatively stable over many years of monitoring, and the orchids are not showing signs of major decline, despite declines in other areas.
“But if you just leave (Eshqua) alone and don’t manage the area, the invasive plants are going to possibly take over. And you would see a lot less native plant diversity over time,” Sechler says.
Eshqua’s remarkable diversity of plant species, including orchids, inspires curiosity and appreciation for the natural world.
“There’s just so much diversity packed into a relatively small area. You’ve got all these plants, and some of them are rare in Vermont, growing right alongside each other,” Sechler says.
“It’s an impressive display of native plant diversity in a small area,” he adds.
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If you go: Eshqua Bog is located on Garvin Hill Road in Hartland
Details: The showy lady’s slipper blooms for about two weeks, typically starting in mid-June. If you miss that window, Eshqua Bog is still worth visiting to see other wildflowers, mosses, and ferns. For more information, visit nature.org.
-Main photo: Stock image of showy lady’s slipper in Eshqua Bog.