Lost & Found: Bog Rose

Bog Rose in NC where it was recently rediscovered

Bog Rose a.k.a Dragon's Mouth Orchid (Arethusa bulbosa) is endangered in North Carolina. Originally known from only a small handful of sites it is unclear if it still persists at most of these. Dedicated orchid enthusiasts, including Mark Rose & David McAdoo, have been searching remnant mountain bogs for nearly 20 years hoping for a glimpse of it in North Carolina.

It is unclear why this orchid has become so hard to find in NC, although Mark Rose believes heavy shrub invasion in its bog habitat may be a contributor.  In more northern parts of its range (where it is much more common), "many populations have been depleted or destroyed by over-collection. (http://www.botany.wisc.edu/orchids/Arethusa.html). I recently heard of a site in Transylvania County which once had 20 or more stems, that was destroyed by silt washing in from a nearby pasture.

The site where Bog Rose has been recently re-discovered had become heavily invaded with shrubs especially Rhododendron. After protecting the site from development and other forms of incompatible land-use, we began a restoration project. Using chainsaws and machetes, we removed massive quantities of woody stems to return the site to more open condition and conducted a prescribed burn. Approximately 2 years after the bulk of the clearing the Bog Rose has re-appeared!

One of the many piles of Rhododendron stems removed from the mountain bog habitat of Arethusa.

Bog Rose plants recovering from decades of  suppression.
Photo courtesy of Jean Woods (Left)

Possibly, the last home for the Bog Rose is now a North Carolina Plant Conservation Preserve. Restoration work has produced results and this, and other, rare plants are rebounding.  At the moment only 2 flowering stems have been found. Let's hope orchid enthusiasts and collectors respect the Preserve designation and the work it has taken to restore, and leave the Bog Rose for the enjoyment of future generations

Read More

Mountain Sweets - Almost Gone?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     One of the sweetest plants to find in the Southern Appalachians, perhaps, because it is one of the most unexpected, is the trumpet-like pitcher plant known as Sarracenia jonesii. With a natural range centered on Henderson County, NC this carnivorous plant is a relatively narrow endemic just barely ranging into South Carolina. In a region most noted for forests, this pitcher plant inhabits small wetland pockets often referred to as "mountain bogs".  

Range map for Sarracenia jonesii in NC; "extirpated" refers to sites formerly known to support the species but lost for one reason or another, while "extant" refers to naturally occurring populations still present, unless indicated as "extant-introduced" which are sites created by planting in a non-naturally occurring site.

Only three naturally occurring populations remain in North Carolina.

A quick review of the distribution map tells a tale of substantial decline, in which most of the known, naturally occurring sites have been lost.  In 1986, the USFWS listed the plant as endangered.  What happened to cause the decline and create the need for federal listing?

Like many areas of the country, wetlands in this part of NC have not fared well. The first map below portrays the predicted extent of historical wetlands in the heart of the Mountain Sweet range (polygons shaded light blue). The second map illustrates those same wetland areas with the current land use depicted; bright red and yellow colors show heavily altered or otherwise developed areas. A comparison of the two gives a clear illustration that substantial wetland area has either lost or heavily altered.

                                                                                                                                                                              In addition to habitat loss, other Mountain Sweets have been lost due to poaching and over-collection by hobbyists. An example of this phenomenon is the extirpation from the wild of a "green race" of Sarracenia jonesii.   There still appears to be ample pressure collecting pressure on the few remaining native populations.                                                                             

Must we have every species in our gardens?

Read More