The Endangered Species Garden at the entrance to the Center for the Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) features a number of plant species of conservation concern in our region, patterned after four local habitats.

Woodland
The forest in Ohio declined from about 95% of the state’s area in 1788 to a low of 10% in 1910. Today, 30% of Ohio is covered with forest. Woodlands in this area are dominated by maples, beech, oaks and hickories, but contain many other species, including a number of rare trees, shrubs and woodland wildflowers.

photo of Trilluim

Prairie
Small pockets of prairies originally extended eastward into Ohio and Kentucky, but only remnants of these areas remain.

photo of Short's Goldenrod

Wetland
Bogs, fens, lakes and rivers provide distinctive wetland habitats which support a great diversity of plant life. Only 200 years ago, about one-fifth of Ohio was wetland, but about 90% of these areas have since been drained for agriculture and development.

photo of Heart-leaved Plantain

Rocky outcrop
Limestone and sandstone outcrops harbor a variety of rare species throughout the region. These are often endangered by recreational climbing as well as habitat loss, particularly through logging.

photo of Cumberland Sandwort