Meet the science-based, horticultural plant risk analysis tool that is good for business and the environment. Known as PlantRight “PRE” (Plant Risk Evaluator), this 20-question, online tool, and database enables Gardens to know before they grow if a...

Public gardens occupy a key position in supporting nationwide efforts to increase monarch butterfly populations. However, numerous questions remain to be resolved in regards to how we can best support conservation of both monarch butterflies and the...

Beautiful gardens begin with healthy soil. The concept of soil quality is the capacity of soil to provide key functions and is measured using a variety of biological, chemical, and physical properties and processes. Soil health indicators have been...

A well-developed trialing program can benefit a public garden, its visitors, and the horticulture industry as a whole. Successful plants with proven performance create beautiful displays that engage the public and showcase the living landscape. The...

GM plants are the result of one of the most rapidly adopted plantbased technologies ever deployed. In the U.S. alone, hundreds of millions of people and billions of farm animals have been consuming products from these crops for more than 15 years. GMOs...

Centennial Trees is a nine-year-old outreach program of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens that educates the community on the importance of planting locally-sourced native tree seedlings in public spaces. Trees selected for the program are determined to...

Earth has daunting climatic and socioeconomic challenges. Gardens wish to do their part in preserving biodiversity, but best practices are essential when working with and protecting wild populations. We will...

Heirloom vegetables, heirloom roses… how about heirloom viburnums? What’s happening to older cultivars of genera that don’t have a special interest group championing their cause? This session will explore the...

Climate change is affecting public landscapes now. Research into managing existing landscapes and designing new ones is critical if our parks and gardens are to adapt. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a...

As climate change places continued pressure upon wild-plant populations, botanical gardens and arboreta become increasingly indispensable conservation agents. Not only are collection managers faced with harder...

Arboreta and gardens have an ability to fill an important role in germplasm conservation by participating in ex situ collections. Globally, trees are facing a human-driven mass extinction, and our native flora...

Invasive plant species can grow in natural areas even as they are commercially available throughout that region. When this happens, private, commercial, and government sectors may have different perspectives...

This document provides a voluntary code of conduct regarding the management of invasive plant species. Learn how to conduct an institution-wide review examining all departments and activities that provide opportunities to stem the proliferation of...

As stewards of living collections, public garden staff safeguard plants in the best interest of their organizations and audiences. There are many different threats to the safety and security of these gardens and their collections, with natural...

In case of disaster, the more prepared you are for response, the better your collection will fare. In a perfect world, you would save all the plants in the collection. But this is not always possible. Assigning priority levels to your accessions and ...

Growing degree days have been used widely for both agriculture and horticulture purposes since the 1950s to track temperature accumulation. Without the stress of drought or other unusual weather conditions, plants typically grow in a stepwise fashion...

As spring arrives, it brings with it warmer weather, blossoming trees and flowers, singing birds, and severe weather such as hail, high winds, and tornadoes. Each year, many people across the United States are killed or seriously injured by the severe...

Soil moisture is a key factor in determining the annual progress of natural environments and human systems. In horticultural and agricultural settings, soil moisture information can aid in making decisions regarding plant variety choice and planting...

As was felt recently at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, extreme precipitation and flooding can be exceptionally devastating. Excess rains can wash away trails, compromise bridges, and harm many varieties of plants in public gardens. Sometimes no...

An innovative climate change cell phone tour and pilot project at Longwood Gardens marks the first deliverable in a series of objectives between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and American Public Gardens Association that...