Orchids

Roger Hammer has spent decades documenting the state’s native and rare orchids before they disappear. Florida boasts the greatest diversity of orchids in the continental U.S., but today, three-fourths of its orchids are listed as endangered or threatened.

The state's once-abundant orchid population has dwindled. Conservationists hope to change that by planting lab-grown flowers in urban areas throughout South Florida.

For the past five years, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota has been part of a pioneering effort to return rare bromeliads and orchids to the…