Scouting, collecting, and propagating California incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin)

Scope of work: SDBG is partnering with the U.S. National Arboretum and Canopy Conscious to collect unique populations of California incense cedar across its native range in Oregon and California. This magnificent conifer can reach more than 50 meters in height and three meters in width at its base, and has distinctive bark reminiscent of redwoods. The project will ensure that the genetic diversity within this stately tree is well represented in arboreta, botanic gardens, and other conservation repositories across the nation and internationally.

Timeframe: 2023 to 2024

Funding source(s): U.S. National Arboretum

Key partners and stakeholders: Canopy Conscious, U.S. National Arboretum

Conservation of three rare plants occurring in Cleveland National Forest

Scope of work: SDBG is collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service to conserve three rare plants occurring in Cleveland National Forest in San Diego County – Warner Springs Lessingia (Lessingia glandulifera var. tomentosa), Parish’s Meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba subsp. parishii), and California Golden-banner (Thermopsis californica var. semota). Field surveys of these plants in their wild habitats is providing an updated understanding of their current status, including impacts from invasive species and other threats. Collecting the seeds of the species and depositing them in seedbanks is enabling their long-term survival, as well as supporting their potential to be restored to natural habitats in the future.

Timeframe: 2024 to 2025

Funding source(s): Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI), U.S. Forest Service

Key partners and stakeholders: U.S. Forest Service

Encinitas Habitat Stewardship Program, Cottonwood Creek stewardship and restoration

Scope of work: In partnership with the City of Encinitas and other organizations, SDBG is engaging community members in the restoration of native habitats on public open spaces. To date, SDBG staff and community volunteers have grown and installed thousands of native plants, and removed even more invasive plants from Cottonwood Creek Park, parcels near Moonlight Beach, and more recently at Oak Crest Park and along Saxony Road. These efforts are helping to restore coastal sage scrub and southern maritime chaparral habitats for wildlife, fire abatement, improved water and soil quality, and enhanced community recreation.

Timeframe: 2020 to present

Funding source(s): City of Encinitas, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE)

Key partners and stakeholders: City of Encinitas, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE), Cottonwood Creek Conservancy

Center for Plant Conservation, California Plant Rescue

Scope of work: SDBG is helping to conserve our State’s plant diversity in partnership with California Plant Rescue, a regional network supported by the Center for Plant Conservation. Through State funding secured in 2019 as a part of the California Biodiversity Initiative, we are working to collect and bank seed from some of the state’s rarest plants. While the program is focused on seed storage in freezers, SDBG also successfully completed the first recalcitrant seed collection in the history of the program, for Cedros island oak (Quercus cedrosensis C. H. Mull.). SDBG has additionally partnered with other members of California Plant Rescue to survey rare plants on the Modoc Plateau and Tahoe areas of northeastern California as well as in Anza Borrego Desert State Park and surroundings. Moreover, the program is supporting SDBG’s growth as a seed bank partner, including by supporting the acquisition of new equipment such as a freezer, germinator, and back-up power generator, as well as seed cleaning tools and supplies.

Timeframe: 2021 to present

Funding source(s): Center for Plant Conservation California Plant Rescue

Key partners and stakeholders: Center for Plant Conservation, California Botanic Garden, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, California Native Plant Society, Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, and other members of California Plant Rescue

Wild relatives of crops on U.S. Forest Service lands

Scope of work: SDBG is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to help document the wild relatives of food crops that occur on USFS lands in the United States. These native plants are the wild cousins of crops that are consumed daily by millions of people, and their ‘wild’ traits – including resistance to many pests and diseases, and tolerance to heat, cold, and other stresses – can be introduced through plant breeding into their domesticated cousins to increase crop productivity and resilience. SDBG researchers are generating lists of priority native wild relative species for all USFS lands in the country, and ground-truthing this information through field surveys in the local Cleveland National Forest. Herbarium vouchers and seed from wild relatives on Cleveland National Forest are being collected and conserved in SDBG’s seedbank and gardens, and shared with other researchers and conservation organizations, while the information generated about these plants will help inform future habitat restoration efforts.

Timeframe: 2024 to 2029

Funding source(s): U.S. Forest Service (USFS)

Key partners and stakeholders: U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Colorado State University Geospatial Centroid

Global Conservation Consortium for Oak partnership

Scope of work: The Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GCCO) coordinates a network of institutions working on ex situ and in situ conservation strategies aimed at preventing the extinction of the world’s oak (Quercus L.) species. As a partnering organization, SDBG works collaboratively to study, collect and grow some of the rarest oaks in California and the greater Southwestern U.S. SDBG serves as an ex situ conservation site for oak species and contributes to the Consortium’s living “metacollection”, a network of institutions around the world working together to preserve oak diversity. In particular, SDBG serves as a species steward for Cedros island oak (Quercus cedrosensis C. H. Mull.), Nuttall’s scrub oak (Quercus dumosa Nutt.), and Palmer oak (Quercus palmeri Engelm.).

Timeframe: 2020 to present

Funding source(s): Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GGCO) and its supporters

Key partners and stakeholders: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, other participating organizations in the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GCCO)

Green Legacy: Spreading peace through plants

Scope of work: On August 6, 1945 the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by a single atomic bomb dropped by an American B-29 bomber on the city center, killing almost one third of the population. Those who survived feared nothing would grow in their ruined city for decades. However, new seedlings sprouted and became symbols of hope, encouraging survivors to rebuild. Over 160 trees, of about 27 species, located within a 2-km radius of the atomic bomb hypocenter, are officially registered as hibakujumoku (atomic bombed trees) by the City of Hiroshima. Lovingly cared for over the years by authorities, botanists, citizens’ groups, and individuals, each hibakujumoku is identified by a name plate.

Inspired by other citizen efforts to distribute seeds and saplings around the planet, Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH) was founded in 2011. GLH sends seeds and saplings of these survivor trees to city parks, botanical gardens, schools, universities, other public and private institutions, and symbolic sites. Activities are currently unfolding with partners and friends in 40 countries and regions, including with the SDBG. In 2021 SDBG became one of three regional hubs for GLH, sharing seeds and seedlings of the survivor trees through the U.S.

Timeframe: 2021 to present

Key partners and stakeholders: Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH), Salk Institute, Denver Botanic Gardens, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, other participating institutions

Growing metacollections and strengthening gardens for a conservation consortia future

Scope of work:  SDBG is collaborating with a wide range of botanic gardens to strengthen conservation networks dedicated to collaboratively safeguarding plant diversity through the creation of “metacollections”, in which each garden plays a unique and complementary role. This project will enable the ongoing functioning of these Global Conservation Consortia networks. It will also focus on building the capacities of small- and medium-sized gardens to participate in these networks.

Timeframe: 2023 to 2026

Funding source(s): Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), award number MG-252894-OMS-23

Key partners and stakeholders: Atlanta Botanical Garden, The Morton Arboretum, Montgomery Botanical Center, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI), The Botanic Garden of Smith College, Donald Davis Arboretum, Ganna Walska Lotusland Botanic Garden.

Reintroducing Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis (Otay mountain lotus) as a native ornamental in San Diego County horticulture

Scope of work: Otay mountain lotus (Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis) is a rare perennial herb in the legume family (Fabaceae) that occurs on Otay Mountain in southern San Diego County. SDBG is partnering with the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust to help reintroduce this incredibly beautiful, drought tolerant species into the local horticultural trade. Project activities include 1) generating and distributing information on cultivation requirements, including irrigation, soil, and exposure, 2) testing alternatives to seed propagation, and 3) creating a pipeline for assured sources of diverse plants. 

Timeframe: 2024 to 2025

Funding source(s): Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

Enhancing wild walnut (Juglans californica S Watson) representation in ex situ collections from Southern California occurrences

Scope of work: As part of the North American Fruit and Nut Crop Wild Relative Working Group, SDBG is collecting wild California black walnut (Juglans californica S. Watson) populations in San Diego County and across Southern California, to help enhance the ex situ representation of this species in botanic gardens and other facilities. SDBG staff are propagating the walnuts to add to the Garden collection as well as to distribute seedlings to partners. 

Timeframe: 2022 to 2024

Key partners and stakeholders: United States Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI), The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), and other members of the North American Fruit and Nut Crop Wild Relative Working Group 

Establishing a scientific basis for managing genetic diversity in botanic garden collections

Scope of work: A broad network of botanic gardens and related organizations are collaborating to develop stronger collection management strategies for plant repositories. In this project, The Morton Arboretum is leading an effort to engage SDBG and other partners in research to better integrate genetics and geographic analyses in collections management, reduce excessive duplication of individual plants (i.e. clones of popular species/varieties) within and among gardens, and better understand the extent of un-recognized hybridization among related species within collections.

Timeframe: 2023 to 2025

Funding source(s): Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), award number MG-251613-OMS-22

Key partners and stakeholders: The Morton Arboretum, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, US National Arboretum, Michigan State University, Chicago Botanic Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, Huntsville Botanic Garden, Donald Davis Arboretum

Cottonwood Creek watershed riparian enhancement project at Ocean Knoll canyon

Scope of work: SDBG is partnering with the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) and other organizations to restore native riparian and southern maritime chaparral habitat in a canyon adjacent to Ocean Knoll Elementary School in Encinitas. This canyon is an important section of the Cottonwood Creek watershed. Engaging students and other community members in the environmental restoration activities, SDBG and partners are improving ten acres of canyon habitat, an ecosystem that is both a refuge for native coastal plants and animals and an area that holds high potential educational value for thousands of children in the EUSD.

Timeframe: 2022 to present

Funding source(s): California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE), Point Blue 

Key partners and stakeholders: Encinitas Union School District (EUSD), California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), SWCA, Nature Collective, Habitat West, Red Tail Environmental, Ocean Knoll Canyon Keepers, Point Blue 

Survey, study, and propagation of rare and special plants in the Otay Mountain wilderness

Scope of work: Otay Mountain in San Diego County is a unique place, home to a wide range of rare plant species, many of which are found only in that area within the United States. SDBG is focusing efforts on ten of the most rare and unique species occurring on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) properties on the mountain, with the following goals: 1) survey and map all known as well as newly encountered occurrences, 2) collect and bank seed of as many occurrences of each species as possible for future restoration efforts and 3) study and develop replicable protocols for propagation and horticultural production of each species. Combining conservation efforts with educational programming, this project will deliver an ecological baseline and conservation resource vital for preserving San Diego’s unique biodiversity in an important public-use and open space area.

Timeframe: 2022 to 2025

Funding source(s): U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Key partners and stakeholders: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Salk Institute, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Supporting native pollinators and their habitats

Scope of work: Plant pollinators play critically important roles in native ecosystems as well for crop production and other services directly important to people. The global decline in pollinator diversity and abundance due to loss of habitat, competition from invasive species, pollution and chemical contamination, and other drivers, is thus an enormous concern. SDBG is expanding its pollinator-focused areas of the garden, while also installing more pollinator-friendly plants throughout our 37 acres. The garden is also collaborating with the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD), City of Encinitas, and other local partners to restore native habitats with special emphasis on supporting native pollinators. At Park Dale Lane Elementary, a large, publicly accessible slope covered in nonnative iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis) is being transformed into high quality native coastal sage scrub habitat, while at a City of Encinitas park a native plant demonstration garden will offer opportunities to learn about the value of native habitats and their unique pollinators.

Timeframe: 2024 to 2026 

Funding Source(s): The Bevand Family

Key partners and stakeholders: Encinitas Union School District (EUSD), City of Encinitas

Enhancing rare California wild stone fruit (Prunus L.) representation in ex situ collections

Scope of work: As part of the North American Fruit and Nut Crop Wild Relative Working Group, SDBG is collecting rare endemic wild desert plum (Prunus eremophila Prigge) in the Mojave Desert,  and sand almond (Prunus fasciculata (Torr.) A. Gray var. punctata Jeps.) in the central California coast, and Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn.) D. Dietr. var. occidentalis Brandegee) on Santa Cruz Island, to help enhance the ex situ representation of these species in botanic gardens and other repositories. SDBG staff are propagating the species to add to the Garden collection and to distribute seedlings to partners

Timeframe: 2023 to present 

Key partners and stakeholders: United States Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI), United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), Nature Conservancy, other members of the North American Fruit and Nut Crop Wild Relative Working Group

Understanding plant species rarity: causes and consequences from genes to ecosystems

Scope of work: SDBG is partnering with four other major botanic organizations to form the Rare Plant Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates in Biological Sciences (Rare Plant RaMP) Network. This group aims to address an urgent need to broaden participation in the STEM fields to include historically marginalized groups. Rare Plant RaMP mentees are working with SDBG and our partners to develop and execute independent year-long research projects that address pressing needs in rare plant science and conservation while simultaneously encouraging and empowering professional growth and retention, improving science communication skills and experience, building a lasting network of professional peers and collaborators, and building diverse, equitable, and inclusive mentor-mentee relationships.

Timeframe: 2022 to 2026

Funding source(s): National Science Foundation (NSF), award number 2216650

Key partners and stakeholders: Atlanta Botanical Garden, California Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum, Salk Institute

Restoration of culturally significant plants of the Pa Ipai Indigenous community of Santa Catarina, Baja California, Mexico

Scope of work: SDBG is honored to partner with the Santa Catarina Pa Ipai community, Terra Peninsular, Expediciones Botánicas, SUVA Research, and other colleagues to nurture community wellbeing, preserve cultural knowledge, and conserve culturally significant plants in their native habitats in the Pa Ipai Indigenous community of Santa Catarina, Baja California Norte, Mexico. The project aims to support the community in establishing more reliable, sustainable sources of native medicine, food, and other plants for community use and for sale.

Timeframe: 2024 to present

Funding source(s): Swift Foundation

Key partners and stakeholders: Santa Catarina Pa Ipai community, Terra Peninsular, Expediciones Botánicas, SUVA Research

Surveying San Diego County BLM lands and conserving and propagating rare plants for restoration

Scope of work: San Diego County contains nearly 164,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Several of the larger parcels have conservation designations as Wilderness or Wilderness Study Areas, but there remain many small parcels scattered throughout the County that are much less well known or surveyed. The Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, and Sonoran Desert ecoregion communities encompassed within these areas are rich with endemic and rare species, however due to the remote and dispersed nature of the parcels, botanical research, surveys, and conservation activities have been extremely limited to date. SDBG is extending its partnerships with the BLM to document and conserve the diversity of plants on these lands in San Diego County. This ambitious five-year project, which also engages the San Diego Natural History Museum and two local biological consultancy businesses, is improving the current knowledge of floristic composition on BLM lands, establishing ex situ conservation and safety duplication of rare plants, and developing and distributing information important to creating strategies for enhancing resilience, decreasing fire and flood threat, and preserving and restoring southern California’s unique biodiversity. 

Timeframe: 2024 to 2029

Funding source(s): U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Key partners and stakeholders: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM), Balk Biological, SageVinje Biological

Surveying, conserving, and propagating Southern California BLM sensitive plants for restoration

Scope of work: Building on our collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) at Otay Mountain, SDBG is partnering with the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM) and Eco-Alianza to survey BLM land in the McCain Valley Resource Conservation Area, Table Mountain Wilderness Study Area, Carrizo Gorge Wilderness, Jacumba Wilderness, and Coyote Mountains Wilderness in San Diego and Imperial Counties. The aim of the project, which focuses on nine native rare plant taxa, is to provide up to date occurrence inventories, herbarium specimens, tissue sampling, seed collections for long term conservation, documentation of environmental conditions and threats such as invasive species, and the creation of germination, propagation, and horticultural protocols to develop genetically appropriate native plant material for future restoration projects.

Timeframe: 2023 to 2025

Funding source(s): U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Key partners and stakeholders: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Eco-Alianza, San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM)

Maintaining genetic diversity of rare California plants during seed regeneration

Scope of work: Many of the rare California native plants focused on in the Center for Plant Conservation’s California Plant Rescue (CaPR) program are represented by only small amounts of seed collected from the wild. To produce more seeds for conservation, as well as for future restoration in native habitats, they must be grown out by gardens, and loss of genetic diversity during this growing out process is a potential concern. This project assesses change in the genetic diversity of these rare plants as they are grown out by SDBG and other CaPR partners across the State. The findings are intended to help improve the ways gardens grow seeds of rare plants for conservation and restoration.

Timeframe: 2023 to 2026

Funding source(s): Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), award number MG-243481-OMS-23

Key partners and stakeholders: Center for Plant Conservation, California Botanic Garden, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Mojave Desert Land Trust, Regional Parks Botanic Garden, UC Botanic Garden, UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden.

Seeds of Success collections in San Diego and Imperial Counties

Scope of work: Seeds of Success (SOS) is a longstanding national native seed collection program led by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in partnership with a variety of federal agencies and non-federal organizations. SOS’s mission is to collect wildland native seed for research, development, germplasm conservation, and ecosystem restoration. SDBG partners with the BLM to collect native seed in San Diego and Imperial Counties and deliver that seed to the national SOS program. 

Timeframe: 2024 to 2029

Key partners and stakeholders: Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Partnership pilot program for tribal community revitalization and planning for climate resiliency and adaptation

Scope of work: SDBG is collaborating to develop a partnership of tribal government, community-based non-profit, academic, and industry groups to support the federally-recognized tribal communities of Jamul and Viejas Bands of Kumeyaay and Pala Band of Mission Indians in San Diego County in their adaptation and resilience to climate change, drought, and wildfire, especially pertaining to plants of cultural significance, tribal health, and wellbeing. The partnership will build capacity for habitat restoration projects, evaluate how culturally important plants are faring due to environmental change, and develop seedbanks, gardens, and greenhouses in tribal communities to care for and propagate culturally significant plants.

Timeframe: 2024 to 2027

Funding source(s): Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, U.S. Forest Service

Key partners and stakeholders: Jamul Indian Village of California, Pala Band of Mission Indians, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Coastal Roots Farm, Flower Hill Institute, Cota Holdings, Tree of Life Nursery, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), San Diego State University (SDSU), University of California Cooperative Extension, The Morton Arboretum

North American fruit and nut crop wild relative working group

Scope of work: Building on a Road Map for Conservation, Use, and Public Engagement around Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Utilized Plants of North America, a broad network of botanic gardens, public agencies, and other organizations have formed a working group to improve the conservation and use of wild plants native to North America that are related to important fruit and nut tree crops. Through these collaborations, these wild apples, avocados, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pawpaws, pecans, persimmons, pistachios, plums, and walnuts will be better conserved in botanic gardens and public genebanks, and better protected in their natural habitats.

Timeframe: 2020 to present

Key partners and stakeholders: United States Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI), Missouri Botanical Garden, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, The Morton Arboretum, other members of the North American Fruit and Nut Crop Wild Relative Working Group

Conservation gap analysis for wild North American grapes (Vitis L.)

Scope of work: Building on a 2022 workshop at Oak Spring Garden Foundation that brought together botanists, conservation scientists, plant breeders, grape and wine professionals, and other grape researchers, SDBG is working to understand the distributions and conservation status of wild grapes (Vitis L.) native to North America. Through collaborative research, this natural heritage of wild grapes will be better conserved in botanic gardens and public genebanks, better protected in their natural habitats, and more available for research and education.

Timeframe: 2022 to present

Key partners and stakeholders: United States Botanic Garden, Colorado State University Geospatial Centroid, United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), NatureServe, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI), Saint Louis University (SLU), Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, other members of the North American Native Grapes Workshop

Growing native plants and preparing native seed for restoration programs

Scope of work: SDBG is supporting regional conservation partners focused on restoration of native plants and habitats. For example, SDBG is growing native dune plant species in the garden nursery for installation by partners in appropriate habitats in coastal North County of San Diego. Likewise, the garden is cleaning and testing seed of very rare native species in preparation for their re-establishment in restoration sites in California.

Timeframe: 2023 to present

Key partners and stakeholders: Nature Collective, BayWa r.e., Dudek, Tierra Data

Scouting, collecting, and propagating Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana Parry ex Carrière)

Scope of work: In partnership with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, SDBG is scouting and collecting seeds of Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana Parry ex Carrière) from Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, including by surveying existing conditions and collecting cones from previously uncollected populations. Collected material is being propagated and distributed among the main collaborators and to several other partnering institutions, including the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden, San Francisco Botanical Garden, and North Dakota State University.

Timeframe: 2022 to 2023

Funding source(s): American Public Gardens Association – U.S. Forest Service Tree Gene Conservation Partnership

Key partners and stakeholders: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Scouting and collecting Palmer oak (Quercus palmeri Engelm.)

Scope of work: In partnership with The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, along with Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, SDBG is scouting and collecting from several populations of Palmer oak (Quercus palmeri Engelm.) in central and northwestern Arizona, including by surveying existing conditions and collecting acorns and other plant tissues from previously uncollected populations. Collected material is being distributed among the main collaborators and to several other partnering institutions. The project bolsters existing ex situ collections and serves to aid in reintroduction of the species back into the wild in future restoration efforts.

Timeframe: 2023

Funding source(s): American Public Gardens Association – U.S. Forest Service Tree Gene Conservation Partnership

Key partners and stakeholders: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Denver Botanic Gardens, UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, USFS Carson Ranger District, Bartlett Arboretum, San Antonio Botanic Garden

The Global Genome Initiative for Gardens: Collecting herbarium vouchers from living collections and preserving their genome resources in biorepositories

Scope of work: The Global Genome Initiative for Gardens is focused on collecting herbarium vouchers from living collections such as botanic gardens, as well as preserving their leaf or other vegetative plant tissues (i.e. genome resources) in appropriate repositories, to support present and future research. To date, SDBG has collected and stored 80 samples from 80 species (in 63 genera, in 30 families).

Timeframe: 2021

Key partners and stakeholders: United States Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI)

Evaluating Lepechinia ganderi (Gander’s pitcher sage) as a native ornamental in San Diego County

Scope of work: Gander’s pitcher sage (Lepechinia ganderi Epling) is a rare species in the mint family (Lamiaceae) that occurs on Otay Mountain in southern San Diego County. SDBG is partnering with the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust to help bring this beautiful, drought tolerant species into the local horticultural trade. Cuttings from several notable individual plants have been selected from Otay Mountain and are being grown in the SDBG nursery. These selections are undergoing different trials and evaluations to determine their tolerance and growth habits in landscape conditions, with the ultimate goal of helping this charismatic species become available to landscapers and home gardeners.  

Timeframe: 2022

Funding source(s): Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

Protecting pollinators with economically feasible and environmentally sound ornamental horticulture

Scope of work: SDBG hosts and contributes to collaborative research projects investigating attractiveness of commercially-produced ornamental plants to different pollinators. The project is documenting if and how many of the more than 650 bee species native to San Diego County will pollinate ornamental plants, as part of a larger effort to protect bee diversity.

Timeframe: 2016 to 2023

Funding source(s): United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Specialty Crop Research and Extension Investments (SCRI)

Key partners and stakeholders: University of California Cooperative Extension, UC Davis Bee Haven

Coastal sage scrub pollinator monitoring program

Scope of work: SDBG is collaborating with California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) to research the relationships between plants and pollinators. Using image-based machine learning methods to identify invertebrate pollinators that visit coastal sage scrub plants, the program seeks to better understand the ecology of our native plants and pollinators, as well as to determine the efficacy of different types of pollinator gardens. 

Timeframe: 2021 to 2023

Key partners and stakeholders: California State University San Marcos (CSUSM)

Scouting, collecting, and propagating Cedros island oak (Quercus cedrosensis C. H. Mull.)

Scope of work: SDBG scouted and collected acorns of Cedros island oak (Quercus cedrosensis C. H. Mull.) from its only population occurring in the U.S. – on the south side of Otay Mountain along the U.S.-Mexico border. In collaboration with other botanical institutions SDBG staff made genetically diverse collections of acorns and other propagules in order to establish ex situ conservation groves. These collections will serve as a safeguard for the small and highly threatened U.S. population of this species and can also be leveraged for additional research and restoration efforts.

Timeframe: 2021

Funding source(s): American Public Gardens Association – U.S. Forest Service Tree Gene Conservation Partnership

Key partners and stakeholders: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, University of California Botanical Garden, California Botanic Garden, Fullerton Arboretum