TEMPE — After years of careful experimentation, the Desert Botanical Garden has celebrated a milestone in its effort to save an endangered orchid.

For the first time since the project began in 2016, two of the fragile Canelo Hills Ladies’ Tresses orchids have flowered, offering a hopeful sign for the future of this rare species that can only be found in southern Arizona.

The process involves delicate germination and propagation techniques aimed at rebuilding the wild population. While the journey has been long and challenging, the recent blooms mark a significant achievement for both the botanists involved in the project and the future of the orchid.

“It means that maybe this plant has a chance of survival,” said Steven Blackwell, conservation collections manager at the DBG.

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