Plant not seen in Wisconsin since 1911 recently rediscovered
(WFRV) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced that a rare plant that has not been seen in Wisconsin since 1911 has recently been rediscovered.
According to the DNR, a population of Maryland Senna was rediscovered in southwest Wisconsin by George Riggin, a trained volunteer for the DNR’s Rare Plant Monitoring Program, and Bridget Rathman, DNR Habitat Biologist.
This discovery and others are featured in the Rare Plant Monitoring Program’s 2023 Annual Report. Almost 15% of Wisconsin’s 2,366 native plant species are considered rare, meaning they are listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern.
In 2023, more than 50 trained volunteers from around the state submitted 178 reports of rare plants, including 31 populations in areas of Wisconsin where they had not been documented before.
“I am continuously impressed by the botanical knowledge, enthusiasm, and commitment to conservation that we see from our volunteers. Their efforts play a significant role in helping us understand the state of rare plants in Wisconsin and inform how we might conserve them,” said Jessica Ross, DNR Rare Plant Monitoring Program Coordinator.
Since 2013, the DNR’s Rare Plant Monitoring Program has trained and sent volunteers to check on the health and size of rare native plant populations in nearly every county in the state.
