Illinois College orchid research thrives with new book, global collaborations
A story about Illinois College faculty publishing a book on his orchid research was featured in an article in the Jacksonville Journal-Courier on February 15, 2025.
To read the full story written by Angela Bauer, visit
Orchids can be notoriously challenging to grow, but research on the plant at Illinois College continues to bloom on several fronts, from a professor’s published book to a return visit to one of the world’s top flower shows to collaborative research with scientists at a British botanic garden.
Dr. Lawrence W. Zettler, IC’s Hitchcock Professor of Biology, and co-author Philip Seaton have released the book
Seaton is a retired biology lecturer who previously managed a global orchid seed-banking network for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in England. He also has written and illustrated several books on orchids and orchid cultivation.
“He has another decade more experience than I have in world travel looking at orchids and trying to perfect them,” Zettler said of Seaton.
Zettler, along with teaching biology at IC, is a research associate at Chicago Botanic Garden and has his own prolific history of published peer-reviewed scientific publications.
“Saving Orchids” is a collection of stories about orchid conservation. While it is rooted in science, it is designed to be approachable, Zettler said.
To read the full story written by Angela Bauer, visit the .