Native Orchids of the Carolinas - Southern Piedmont Chapter - February 2023

Bob's presentation will introduce viewers to the surprising number of orchid taxa that are native to North Carolina and South Carolina. Some will be old friends while others fall into the categories of rare, obscure, bizarre, enigmatic and even perhaps, controversial. Through the magic of macro-photography we’ll be treated to close-up looks at many of them. The Carolinas are at a crossroad where southern species give way to their northern cousins and vice versa, but thanks to climate change, surprises may occur.
Native orchids have come under intense scrutiny in recent years. Botanic gardens, universities, state natural resource agencies, private non-profits, citizen scientists…it seems everyone is trying to unlock the mysteries of native orchids. We’ll discuss some of those efforts and how they might affect orchids in the Carolinas.
The Charlotte region is home to the Southern Piedmont Chapter of the North Carolina Native Plant Society. Our mission is to promote the enjoyment and conservation of North Carolina’s native plants and their habitats through education, protection, promulgation and advocacy. #orchids #nativeplants #ncnative
The Southern Piedmont Chapter meets the second Sunday of most months during the year. Our meetings are both virtual and in-person open to the public as well as members-only hikes and other events.

[@lidroryaar3379]

GREAT INFORMATION!! SUGGESTION: Since NC has so much biodiversity, please consider developing a presentation that highlights (native) recommendations/suggestions for the different regions/zones of the state- For Example: Mountains, Piedmont, Eastern NC, and Coastal NC. It would also be helpful if these recommendations could be further organized by growing conditions, such as, Moisture Requirements, Sun Requirements, etc. People are busy and it’s not really helpful for someone who lives in south eastern (coastal) Brunswick County to sit through a presentation segment that focuses on orchids that can only be grown in the NC mountains or piedmont. Thanks for your consideration!!