Manitoba was covered with glaciers as recently as 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, and all the orchid species here have come from somewhere else. The plants are facing heavy selective pressures, adding to the fascination of this plant family here. Additionally, because of the harsh climate, orchids in the temperate zone are nearly all terrestrial, growing out of the earth. For these various reasons, I think the future for the orchids in our bogs, prairies, and woodlands may be far more at risk than for those of South America. Human activities have had a profound effect on the orchid s habitat, whether that be bog, fen, prairie, or woodlands.
Many experts believe our native orchids, and other plant species as well, are in steep decline.
We need to protect such rare and endangered plants and to preserve their habitat. Native orchids are very difficult to grow from seed because this must be done under sterile laboratory conditions. However, people wishing to try growing native orchids can order seedlings from reputable nurseries such as Hole s Greenhouses in Alberta. I do not recommend digging the plants up in the wild. They are hard to transplant and many fail during the first five years.