check this out!

[bcostello]

Hope this works.
check out the link to this blog by Terry Golson of hencam.com

Terry also says that she she has been seeing pink lady slippers on horse trails this year. Something she has not seen before. She would like to know if her theory that late leafing out is why the blooming is so extraordinary this year.

These are 20 feet from her house.

http://hencam.com/henblog/2014/05/the-bright-side/

 

[PaphMadMan]

The flowers and leaves for this year were set in the dormancy bud formed last year. If winter and spring conditions were optimal it would just allow all the buds that set to flower out. Late leafing out in spring might have ensured that none were hit by frost, and might synchronize flowering more than usual, but nothing about this year can cause more flowers this year.

Definitely a nice showing though...

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

To add to the above comment, deciduous terrestrial orchids are known to stay dormant underground for several seasons (this can be even decades in the case Isotria and Triphora species). That can explain how some plants seem to magically "appear" out of nowhere. As for adult plants "living up to 20 years" - I'm not sure where that came from, but it is equally likely that they can live a hundred or more, but you'd have to watch one

 

[NYEric]

Thanks for sharing. That's one lucky homeowner. The extra light (plus all the water) could be the reason they came out so profusely.

 

[Linus_Cello]

My guess is that this year's really cold winter helped them. Either it improved flower formation, or helped kill off competitors, or synergism with Eric's theory.