Public botanical gardens and arboreta are living museums and as such, their core missions
include the collection and display of herbaceous and woody plants from their local region or
from around the world. To fulfil this mission, gardens and arboreta continually research, test,
and accession new plants to build diverse collections. A small percentage of exotic plant
species accessioned for ornamental display reproduce and spread outside of cultivation and, if
left unchecked, can spread to natural areas and become invasive. The Morton Arboretum, in
partnership with the Midwest Invasive Plant Network and the Ohio Invasive Plants Council,
sought to explore the role of gardens and arboreta in monitoring the spread behavior of plants
and in sharing data collected.