Rare Orchid Grows in Secret in Will County Forest Preserve
Land managers struggle to protect the last white lady's slipper orchid plant in the preserve system.
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A single white lady’s slipper orchid plant grows somewhere in the Will County Forest Preserve system–the only one known to exist there–and land managers aren’t saying where for its protection. The orchids were once abundant in Illinois, but habitat loss, invasive plants, and fluctuating water table levels have made the delicate flowers rare.
