“Which plants should I grow, and how many?” The IMLS National Leadership Project, Safeguarding our Tree Collections, seeks to answer this fundamental question. Through structured comparisons of genetic data among major groups of seed plants, management...

Living collections at public gardens are increasingly at risk of pest infestations and pathogen infections. This session will describe front line strategies to mitigate these risks utilizing clean nursery stock, micropropagation and cryopreservation...

Hear stories that embrace the theme of “Cultivating Your Creativity." Several presenters from different public gardens shared a 5 minute story on a program or project their institution is embracing. 

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens features two conservation-based field trip programs conducted for students: Eco-Health and Connect to Protect. Session attendees will first learn how to conduct scientific studies of ecological health of...

The Southeastern Virginia Phenology Network is a partnership between Old Dominion Univeristy (ODU) and Norfolk Botanical Gardens. The partnership started in 2010 with the purpose of assessing phenological change in native plants in respect to climate...

This presentation from the 2018 Small Gardens Symposium discusses material sourcing and how to focus a collection based on your priorities. Will the plants be for display or will they be used for research? Learn more about the many considerations...

Data is not just required for monitoring. Achieving the ambitious SDGs also requires an evidence-based approach to governance. National and local leaders need to utilize data to help inform their planning, ...

Consisting of several 15-minute presentations, this session is devoted exclusively to having the future leaders of public horticulture share their latest research findings. Through these undergraduate and graduate student presentations, current...

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...