There's hope in saving the endangered ghost orchid

The rare and often-poached ghost orchid. Scientists have found a way to culture the plant. Photo: UF/IFAS

Scientists believe they are on the verge of helping conserve the popular but endangered ghost orchid, a plant that’s often poached.

“We’ve successfully developed procedures to culture plants from seeds in the lab and then successfully acclimatise them into our greenhouse,” said Michael Kane, professor of environmental horticulture at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).