Conservation Efforts Grow Alongside Garden's Living Plant Collections

The recent rediscovery of the long-assumed extinct Quercus tardifolia in Big Bend National Park by a team of botanists and horticulturists serves to highlight the importance of plant conservation at botanical gardens and arboreta. As a part of its mission to enrich life through discovery, education, and the conservation of plants and the environment, the Garden continues to make strides in its nascent conservation program.

Members of the staff, who recently returned from the Texas Plant Conservation Conference in Fort Worth, are inspired to do conservation work alongside their regular responsibilities, while the Garden works toward a more formal conservation program. The following detail some of the genera we are already working to conserve and display.

Louisiana Iris

Earlier this year, staff members spent a day collecting wild Louisiana Iris at San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, with the permission of the Fish and Wildlife Service. They collected both rhizomes and seed from plants at different locations around the refuge. We will grow these out for protection – as Louisiana Iris are considered an at-risk species due to habitat loss from development – and eventual display at the Garden, as well as for potential projects with the Society for Louisiana Iris (SLI), who work to protect these species too.

Quercus (Oak)

The Garden is also currently growing several species of oaks considered rare or endangered, including: Q. acerifolia, Q. arkansana, Q. georgiana, Q. laevis, Q. laceyi, and Q. insignis. Brent Moon, the Garden’s associate director of natural areas, conservation, and facilities, attended the International Oak Society (IOS) Conference in Las Cruces, N.M., last September to learn more about the endangered western species of oak, as well as to view them in habitat as a part of the Garden’s work with the Global Conservation Consortium-Oak (GCCO).

Magnolia

In addition, the Garden is growing Magnolia ashei, M. tamaulipana, M. guatemalensis, M. virginiana, and others, with plans to add more in the future.