NEWSLETTER Vol. 37 Numbers 1 & 2 | Published by the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at Berkeley | Winter / Spring 2012 Nationally Recognized Collections of the Garden n addition to being a place of great beauty, even a casual particular collection. The application process includes a site DFTXDLQWDQFHRIWKH*DUGHQZLOONQRZWKDWZHDUHMXVWL¿DEO\ UHYLHZE\RXWVLGHH[SHUWVZKRFRQ¿UPDVSHFWVRIWKHFROOHFWLRQ proud of our plant collection! The Garden houses one of and might make suggestions about strengthening a particular the most diverse plant collections in North America. A application. Participating gardens commit to making their I “benchmark” survey revealed collections available to support that the Garden contains the largest research, and to work with other number of wild collected plants of gardens to ensure the preservation of any North American public garden. this specially designated plant material. About 65% of the collection is The NAPCC recognizes several types of known wild origin. This is of collections, including those with particularly valuable to researchers broad taxonomic representation as well DQGWRWKRVHZRUNLQJLQWKH¿HOG as conservation-oriented collections of plant conservation because focused on genetic diversity. Garden materials obtained from wild collections are acknowledged for sources represent the natural gene their individual merit, either on their pool of these plants. own, or as part of a multi-institution A number of countries, consortium. including Great Britain and NAPCC status has been achieved for Australia, have programs for three Garden collections to date: oaks the recognition of “national” (Quercus), magnolias (Magnolia), collections. In North America, and cycads (Order Cycadales). Our recognition by the North American oaks and magnolias are part of multi- Plant Collection Consortium institution collections, each involving (NAPCC) comes close to the participation of many gardens. conferring national status on public Collaboration by multiple gardens is garden collections. The NAPCC particularly useful for large, woody is a joint program of the American plants (e.g. trees) with a broad (e.g. Public Gardens Association and worldwide) distribution. No single the United States Department of garden can represent the diversity of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Magnolia dealbata ƪ oaks, which are distributed widely Service. The goal of this network Ȁ Ǥ across the northern hemisphere, with a of public gardens is to “coordinate few ranging south to Malaysia and to Photo by Holly Forbes a continent-wide approach to plant northern South America. germplasm preservation and to Trees can require a lot of room, and promote high standards of collection management.” each garden has space for only so many. Additionally, with Gardens apply for membership in the NAPCC, and such a broad geographic range, cultural and climatic conditions DFKLHYLQJ1$3&&VWDWXVDFNQRZOHGJHVWKHVLJQL¿FDQFHRID determine which species can be grown in any given garden. In 2 University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley Collections (continued from page 1) single, multi-site collection. Doing so will facilitate conservation and research collaboration among the gardens, and several other gardens with strong cycad collections may join as well. The Garden’s cycad collection is very broad, containing all recognized genera of cycads worldwide. We have a particular strength in the genus Encephalartos from southern Africa, including a number of very endangered species. We are focused on the conservation importance of this collection, and are working to establish a breeding program for our plants in collaboration with fellow NAPCC gardens and collaborators in South Africa. Garden staff recently submitted our fern Ǥ ȋCycas platyphyllaȌǤ collection for recognition by the NAPCC. With about Photo by Holly Forbes 450 taxa and 500 accessions, we grow ferns in all the oak consortium, many eastern U.S. gardens have collections nine of our biogeographical collections. We also grow from eastern North America and northeastern Asia. We have ferns in the Aquatic Plant Display, the Xerophytic Fern Display, oaks in our Californian, Asian, Eastern North American, and in our greenhouse-based tropical collections. The Garden Mediterranean and Mexican/Central American Areas. The is particularly known for its collection of desert growing, or particular strength we bring to this consortium lies in our wild xerophytic ferns. We plan to expand our holdings of these unique collected material from Mexico and Central America, and also ferns. plus explore the conservation issues related to rare and/or from California. endangered native Californian ferns. Similarly, the genus Magnolia is widely distributed in Participation in the NAPCC has given the Garden the Asia, North America, and northern South America. The Garden opportunity to collaborate with gardens across North America, KDVD¿QHFROOHFWLRQRIPDJQROLDVIURP$VLDDQG(DVWHUQ1RUWK enhancing our role in plant conservation nationally. Garden America. The magnolia consortium staff are directly involved in NAPCC is particularly enhanced by the administration. Curator Holly Forbes Garden’s strength in wild collected is both a site reviewer and recruiter, material from Mexico and Central encouraging west coast gardens to America. Nationally, the NAPCC become members of the organization. multi-institution Magnolia consortium Associate Director Chris Carmichael includes both wild collected material is the current chair of the NAPCC and many of the beautiful cultivars Committee for the American Public that are important to the horticulture Gardens Association. Working trade, though these are not broadly with the NAPCC also provides featured in our garden. international recognition, which may The Garden’s cycads lead to further avenues of achieving are one of four cycad collections our conservation mission. recognized by the NAPCC; the other More information on the NAPCC and three being Ganna Walska Lotusland Quercus rugosa Ȁ its member collections is available (Montecito, CA) and the Fairchild Ǥ on the American Public Gardens Association website: Tropical Botanical Garden and ơ the Montgomery Botanical Center http://www.publicgardens.org/ (both in Coral Gables, FL). Each of these institutions applied content/what-napcc separately, highlighting the fact that the NAPCC recognizes —Chris Carmichael excellence in plant collections and curatorial practice in multiple gardens growing the same group of plants. The four NAPCC cycad collections are exploring the possibility of forming a Winter / Spring 2012 3 EDUCATION he Garden is pleased to be installing new signs in our our school Pollinator tour, and our ethnobotanical Foods of the Crops of World Garden this spring. This is part of a Americas program. larger project that has been on-going at the Garden The organization of the plantings in the Crops of the T in creating signs for each area that help interpret the :RUOG*DUGHQUHÀHFWVWKH*DUGHQ¶VWKHPHDWODUJHJURXSLQJSODQWV FROOHFWLRQWRYLVLWRUV7KHVLJQVUHÀHFWDFRQWLQXLW\RIGHVLJQ geographically by place of wild origin. Six signs were developed and are presented on durable outdoor-exhibit quality material. for the six different geographical planting beds by a team of docents The project was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library and staff, with input from a variety of audiences. Services. Each sign accomplished two main objectives: to reveal GRPHVWLFDWLRQRULJLQVRIVLJQL¿FDQWFURSSODQWV "!"" # and to convey a concept linked to either how people $'&'$!&"'%!%"+$%")!#"# !""$% ! grow (e.g. horticultural technique) or use the plant crops %(%%")#!&%!$)& # # $")!%%"!$ $%%&%%$" & %#$'%&$"" (e.g. ethnobotany). Since many crops are annuals, the %&#!&%($& &%' !'&(&"!$%'& $'%%%#$"'&%$""! ! "$%$$"#%)$&$%&% & $+ " signs provide a list of crops that the beds usually have #!&%&&$""$"#%'&"&!&+)$'!&" !! "$%$% (!$$%+" Christine Manoux %'$((!&)&%#!&%" %&& growing there so that visitors to the garden at any time """$#!&%)&$%% "% $+'&+ +$$&!& + $+$ $%("# !+$!&!%" "$$)%%$'$!# of year would still be able to gain an understanding (&%'%!%%&"!$%&$&! !)($&%!+$%")$* #%" of the history of crop origins even during the crop’s $"#%!& +$%%&&%$ )!%&"$ )%'&(&"$$!& off-season. #$& !! ! These signs also provide a way to share important Christine Manoux Christine Manoux !%&"$"$+ +$%%%%"!")!% #" #!" ! '$"#%)$" &$ %&"$&$! ideas in crop cultivation. Concepts explained by the $'$! $($" & # ! '$"#!%("#$+($&%)&$$% #!!! #"! %!$%% new geographic bed signs are: 1) Asia – Trade and Crop Plant Dispersal The rich educational topics embodied in this particular 2) Europe – Plant Domestication and Families area of garden make it a special resource for tours, classes, 3) North America – Pollinators and Their Importance programs, and the public. Most of the plants featured are edibles 4) South America – Biodiversity and the Preservation of Varieties - fruits, grains, vegetables, and herbs. A few are valuable for 5) Mexico/ Central America – Polyculture vs. Monoculture Farming other purposes, such as mulberry trees as silkworm food and 6) Africa – Sustainable Gardening Practices cork oaks as a source for cork. In developing the content for the signs, consideration was given for the many educational ways An additional seventh sign welcomes and introduces visitors to the this area of the garden is used. Some examples include the UC Crops of the World Garden and its organization. Berkeley Biology 1b classes studying the Brassicaceae family, Crops