This flower only grows in the wild on a single tiny island... in Illinois.
The Kankakee Mallow (Iliamna remota) is a special little flower. The only place in the world it's found in the wild is on a single small island in the middle of the Kankakee River in Illinois - but until last year, it hadn't been seen in over a decade, and was feared to be extinct. Thanks to volunteer efforts, we got to be some of the first to see it back in bloom!
If you want to know more, help out, and follow the progress of the Kankakee Mallow, check out the Friends of Langham Island Facebook group.
You can get involved in habitat restoration with The Field Museum! AND you get to hang out with Robb.
Check out the podcast on the mallow by our friends In Defense of Plants.
Special thanks to Robb Telfer, Trevor Edmonson, Habitat2030 and The Friends of Langham Island for all of their work, not only for making this episode possible but for working so hard to create a future for this endemic plant in its native habitat.
Thanks to Kathy Pangle from the Kankakee River State Park, and the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission for letting us film.
