Edible orchids are being overharvested in the Mediterranean – how to protect these astonishing blooms

By Susanne Masters, PhD Candidate, Institute of Biology, Leiden University
Margret Veltman, Researcher, Evolution, eDNA, Genomics and Ethnobotany, University of Oslo

Each spring, the meadows and hillsides of the Mediterranean draw tourists to admire flowering orchids. But in some regions, these astonishing blooms are steadily declining – or at risk of disappearing altogether.

Collection for trade is depleting these wild orchids. It’s not their flowers but their tubers that have most value. Tubers are underground storage organs that sustain plant growth and development. Harvesting them effectively kills the plant.

International trade in orchids is

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