Hundreds of species of plants go extinct each year. Many of are plants that the average American has never seen.
For Earth Day come take a look, before they're gone.
At the Atlanta Botanical Garden many endangered plants are on display, both in the conservatory and in the open-air gardens. The botanical garden is also helping those plants make a comeback, through a years-long program of collecting, cultivating and replacing plants in wild areas where they belong.
“We have thousands of rare and endangered plants,” said Ron Determann, vice president of conservatories at the garden and in charge of conservation horticulture. “We are actively involved in the recovery of endangered species, to make them less endangered.”
The garden, for example, recently put out 12,300 orchids in various wild locations, including 2,500 specimens of white fringed orchid (Platanthera blephariglottis) in the state parks in Walton County, Fla., to help restore that species.
Visitors can see many species of rare plants at the botanical garden’s conservatory. The garden is also planning an endangered species day next month.
Chattahoochee Nature Center
A member of the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell has helped rehabilitate rare plant populations and has three acres of gardens on display. 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell; 770-992-2055; chattnaturecenter.org/
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
This Sandy Springs refuge has worked with the Atlanta Botanical Garden to plant native and rare plants, both along the river and in the Paces Mill parking area. 1978 Island Ford Parkway, Sandy Springs. nps.gov/chat/index.htm
Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville
In the new 168-acre Gainesville campus of the Atlanta Botanical Garden are rare pitcher plants in the boggy areas, and a host of threatened plants in the conservatory, said director Mildred Fockele. 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. 404-876-5859; atlantabg.org/visit/gainesville.
Related:
An Earth Day report card for Georgia
