Illinois is home to over 50 species of orchids and many are very rare. Botanist Chris Benda, aka Illinois Botanizer, presented his program, Wild Orchids of Illinois, to our group on Thursday, February 23, 2023. In his awesome presentation he discussed the natural history of orchids and presents photos of all the species native to Illinois. You can watch a recording of his presentation which is posted on our chapter’s YouTube channel by clicking here.
You can visit Chris Benda’s website at https://illinoisbotanizer.comhttps://illinoisbotanizer.com and his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/illinoisbotanizer.
Here are some books that Chris recommends to learn more about the orchids in Illinois:
Wild Orchids of Illinois by Glen Spelman Winterringer, 1967
An Introduction to the Ecology of the Illinois Orchidaceae by Charles J. Sheviak, 1974
Vascular Flora of Illinois: a field guide by Robert H. Mohlenbrock, 2014