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 is not exempt. In 2015 the American Public Gardens Association and the US Forest Service began a partnership dedicated to tree gene conservation and awarded grants for scouting, collecting, and germplasm distribution. In this session we will look at these collection trips, garden networks as living gene banks, and how your garden can become involved.
Presenters: M. Lobdell, J.J. Rothleutner, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois; P. Allenstein, American Public Gardens Association, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania; M.P. Griffith, Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables, Florida.
