Facing extinction, rare Florida swamp flower could get more protections

One of Florida’s rarest and most beloved swamp dwellers, the ghost orchid, could soon see increased protections under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Citing the flower’s growing risk of extinction, officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week announced a proposal to list the ghost orchid as an endangered species .

The decision is being hailed by experts as a lifeline for the phantom flower after decades of poaching, dwindling wetlands and habitat loss have cut its Florida population in half and plummeted its chances of survival.

Federal wildlife experts say there are fewer than 1,000 ghost orchids remaining in the United States, and less than half of those are old enough to reproduce. Globally, the ghost orchid’s population has dropped by an estimated 90% in recent