PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect a rare flower called the Willamette phlox under the Endangered Species Act.

This striking, wetland-dependent flower is found in only a handful of locations in the southern Willamette Valley of Oregon, where its unique, ephemeral wetland habitats have dwindled to a mere 2% of their historic extent.

“The fragile Willamette phlox’s survival is intrinsically tied to the seasonally drying wetlands that have nearly vanished across the Willamette Valley, so we have to act,” said Margaret Townsend, freshwater species attorney at the Center. “With fewer than a dozen sites where this rare flower still thrives, time’s running out. If the Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t quickly protect the Willamette phlox under the Endangered Species Act, we’re at risk of losing it forever.”

Willamette phlox flourish in vernal pools and seasonally wet prairies — habitats that are key to their delicate lifecycle. The flower relies on the annual dry-down of wetlands in order to bloom, with its distinctive flowers emerging between mid-June and mid-July, when the water recedes and the soil begins to dry.

Once common across the Willamette Valley, seasonal wetlands have been almost entirely eliminated there, primarily by agricultural conversion and urban development. Threats from pollution, expanding development, and climate change continue to place the remaining habitats in jeopardy.

The loss of critical areas, compounded by human activity, has left the Willamette phlox clinging to a few isolated pockets of land. Without the protections of the Endangered Species Act, the future of this rare species remains uncertain.

"Saving the Willamette phlox isn’t just about saving a single flower but about protecting an entire ecosystem that sustains countless species,” Townsend said. “These wetlands are important for a host of other animals and plants that depend on them, too. Federal protections could help ensure the survival of this irreplaceable part of our natural heritage.”

If the Fish and Wildlife Service grants the Center’s petition, the designation would trigger conservation measures designed to preserve the species’ habitat, enhance recovery efforts, and address the threats posed by habitat destruction.