COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN For Living and Non-Living Collections Adopted by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees on August 12, 2008

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1 COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN For Living and Non-Living Collections Adopted by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees on August 12, 2008 Executive Summary: Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG) is a museum of botanical species recognized as one of the top botanical gardens in the United States with more than 32,000 plants from such far-away places as Australia, Africa and the Himalayas. Located in the heart of Denver on 23 acres of wellmaintained gardens, Denver Botanic Gardens demonstrate an array of landscape designs and plant collections, ranging from traditional to contemporary, native to exotic and simple to grandiose. Additional sites at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, a 750-acre wildlife and native plant refuge in Littleton and Mount Goliath, a high altitude trail and interpretive garden on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, extend this experience throughout the Front Range. The eastern plains of Colorado is characterized by an arid climate with low humidity. Adapting to these natural climatic conditions, all the gardens at DBG exemplify best management practices in water conservation. The collections at Denver Botanic Gardens are very diverse and hence each collection is addressed separately to assist each collection s stakeholders make an informed and scientific decision pertaining to the maintenance and development of their collections. The major collections identified are: 1. Alpine 2. Amenity 3. Aquatic 4. Cactus and Succulents 5. Native 6. Tropical 7. Steppe 8. Herbarium of Vascular Plants 9. Herbarium of Fungi 10. Library 11. Art Purpose of the plan: The purpose of this Collections Plan is to provide uniform direction to assist in the maintenance, expansion and development of its various collections. This document will be useful in identifying collection priorities within the framework of the institution s mission and vision and within available resources. 1

2 Mission: The mission of Denver Botanic Gardens is to connect people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone. Vision: Along with the adoption of the Master Development Plan in November 2007 by the Denver Botanic Gardens board of trustees, four Core Values were identified that provide guidance for the day to day operations of the Gardens. These Core Values also guide the acquisition and care of collections. The Core Values are: Diversity Relevance Sustainability Transformation Review and Revision of Plan This collections plan will be reviewed annually to ascertain that all timelines are being met and if not, determine measures to overcome this. Review will be done collaboratively by those responsible for each task. Revisions will be made as needed to ensure success in implementation of the plan. Analysis of Existing Collections: Since each of the collections have their own unique characteristics, it would be impossible to combine them all together and perform a single analysis. Hence, each collection has been treated separately and the following has been addressed for each collection: a) Description b) Collections Content c) History of the Collection d) Justification e) Strengths f) Weaknesses g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities h) Implementation Strategy (with Timeline) i) Evaluation Where garden names have been used, please refer to Appendix 1 for Denver Botanic Gardens map and individual garden location. 2

3 1. Alpine Collection 3

4 a) Description The plants in this collection are described as either truly alpine plants or plants that grow in pseudo-alpine habitats such as rock crevices (Chasmophytes) or exposed locations (Facultative Alpines). Definitions: Alpine: The standard definition when referring to Alpine is the area above the treeline (the tree-line is the particular elevation above which trees are not able to grow.) This definition however is misleading as many of the world s mountain ranges do not have a defined tree line. Wikipedia defines alpine as areas where the mean annual temperature is between 34.7 F and 37.4 F (1.5 and 3 Celsius). Pseudo-alpine: The collective term used in this report when referring to both Chasmophytes and Facultative Alpines. Chasmophyte: Chasmophytes are those plants dwelling mainly in rock crevices. Facultative Alpine: Facultative Alpines are those plants that grow below the tree line in alpine-like habitats and mimic alpine plants in growth habit. An example would be Pawnee Buttes in Northeastern Colorado. b) Collections Content True Alpine Total Number of Taxa 592 Number of families Number of genera Number of species Number of accessions wild collected, or nursery grown of known wild origin 78 (True Alpine = Alpine/pseudo-alpine) Denver Botanic Garden s Alpine Collection is mostly likely the largest in the country with regards to number of species. c) History of the Collection The Rock Alpine Garden was designed by Herb Schaal of EDAW Inc., and constructed in At the time of construction it was the most ambitious rock garden constructed in the United States. Through the years the alpine collection has waxed and waned. In the beginning the Rock Alpine garden was planted with a higher percentage of true alpines than the present. Over time it was found that because of Denver s hot summers, which can have 50+ days of 90 F or more, true alpines proved short-lived. Plants from continental areas similar to Denver proved to be better candidates for long-term survival in the garden. For this reason Denver Botanic Gardens collection of plants in the Rock Alpine Garden is particularly rich in central Asian plants, and is most likely the largest collection of Central Asian plants outside of that region of the world. 4

5 In 2000/2001 Wildflower Treasures was created and featured troughs representing select locations around the state of Colorado. Many of these troughs are home to true alpine plants from Colorado s mountains. The year 2001 saw the construction of Western Panoramas and specifically the Bristlecone Border, which created a new home outside the rock garden for many native plants from the subalpine and lower alpine life zones. In late 2004 the former Alpine House was converted to a succulent house as it proved to be unsuitable for true alpines. d) Justification The Alpine Collection is an asset to a wide variety of people, from staff and researchers to the general public. The Alpine Collection as mentioned above holds an immense amount of diversity that in some cases is the most complete display of certain genera in the country outside of private collections. Not only do researchers and staff draw important knowledge from the collection, it is an inspiration and a guide to general visitors, providing a complex example of what thrives in Denver s continental climate Since its beginning the plant collection in the Rock Alpine Garden has drawn attention the world over from astute plant lovers. Many visitors travel to Denver Botanic Gardens from outside the state solely to visit the Rock Alpine Garden. Today with the addition of Wildflower Treasures, South African Plaza, the Western Panoramas, and Mount Goliath, Denver Botanic Gardens has the largest collection of true alpine and pseudo-alpine plants in the country. Because of its size and established reputation the Rock Alpine Garden is the most prominent display area for the Alpine Collection. Since its construction the Rock Alpine Garden has been showcasing plants of the Rocky Mountain Region and similar areas of the world. The Rock Alpine Garden was the first garden at Denver Botanic Gardens to showcase such plants. Visitors seek enjoyment year around from the collection, which features some of the first and last flowers of the season, as well as color, scent and texture throughout the year. The collection has been an educational feature since its inception through the use of not only natives and plants from similar climates but experimentation with plants that should otherwise not thrive in Denver s continental climate. For the past twenty-five years the Rock Alpine Garden has been proving that many plants listed as tender can actually thrive in Colorado, a few examples include: ice plant (Delosperma), California fuchsia (Epilobium), Matija poppy (Romneya), California flannel shrub (Fremontedendron) and Garrya. Despite its relatively young age Wildflower Treasures has become another key area for the display of the Alpine Collection. The troughs in this garden display many 5

6 alpine plants in a manner that is accessible and visually pleasing to the visitor. The use of troughs allows the gardens to display many small plants that would otherwise be lost in larger settings. Mount Goliath combines the beauty of a natural setting with the control and comfort of a man-made garden and visitor center. In addition to its one of a kind location this garden fulfills our mission through its use of plants specifically native to the Mount Evans Massif (a massif is defined as a compact group of connected mountains forming an independent portion of a range.) At an elevation of 11,500 feet, this garden provides a suitable home to a particularly rich collection of true alpines, and is likely the highest public garden in the world. e) Strengths The collection in the Rock Alpine Garden and Wildflower Treasures is especially rich in the numbers of species it contains in certain genera. Those genera highlighted in bold contain large numbers of true alpines or pseudo alpines Genus Species Hybrids (if particularly large collection) Acantholimon 18 Aethionema 10 Allium 17 Campanula 20 Crocus cultivars Cyclamen 9 Daphne 7 6 cultivars and hybrids Dianthus 24 Ephedra 11 Geranium 17 Helleborus 10 Iris 25 Penstemon 57 Phlox 13 Pinus 16 Plantago 14 Salvia 23 (Especially Turkish) Saxifraga 8 11 cultivars/hybrids Sempervivum 7 23 cultivars Stipa 23 Veronica 20 (mostly Central Asian) The collection of Ephedra, Turkish Salvia, Acantholimon, and Penstemon are probably the largest of any public institution in this country. The collection also holds collections of Aethionema, Stipa, Cyclamen, Helleborus, Veronica, and Daphne that are comparable with those of the best institutions in the 6

7 country. The alpine collection contained in the Rock Alpine Garden is one of the best documented collections at Denver Botanic Gardens with over 20 spiral binders of accession forms and maps detailing the location of the plants in the garden as well as the source and date of planting. These notebooks continue to be updated. Data is also recorded in BG Base Some other strengths as mentioned by outside collaborators: Diversity of collections Examples of great plant specimens (both mature and rarely seen) Well-designed Rock Alpine Garden f) Weaknesses The lack of large collections of traditional alpine genera including Androsace, Gentiana, Primula, Saxifraga, and Draba. Traditional refers to what is typically grown in rock gardens in the British Isles and continental Europe. Shortage of labeling/outdated labeling. Lack of proper interpretive materials. Lack of a properly functioning irrigation system. Lack of appropriate propagation space needed to propagate alpine plants. Understaffing of garden, especially if standards of collection were raised to include more traditional alpines. Lack of a suitable Alpine House for difficult-to-grow specialty alpine plants. Lack of backup growing space to provide specimen quality plants needed for an Alpine House open to the public. Lack of qualified staff for maintaining an Alpine House. Potentially overgrown conifers that are too large for the scale of the garden. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Continue to focus on plants appropriate for rock gardens from climates similar to that of the Rocky Mountain West region, with an emphasis on Central Asia, South Africa, Western US, and Patagonia. Augment the true alpine collection and keep such species in the collection through propagation. Continue to augment the collection to include as many species (hybrids in certain cases) as possible of the following genera. 1. Daphne 2. Acantholimon 3. Aethionema 4. Ephedra 5. Draba 6. Saxifraga 7. Androsace 8. Adaptable species/ hybrids of Primula 7

8 9. Any additional genera that are underrepresented in public collections or are of a particular interest Make sure that Denver Botanic Gardens has not only a good collection of species, but attractive displays as well. Continue to acquire species new to cultivation, (Through the purchase of wild collected seed or through Denver Botanic Gardens funded expeditions.) Continue whenever possible to acquire material with wild collected data over cultivated material without scientific data. In certain cases, acquire hybrids and cultivars that are easier to grow than the true species of certain genera. This is especially true with Saxifraga and Primula. h) Implementation Strategy The Denver Botanic Gardens does not have the resources to support the acquisition of a comprehensive collection of any one genus. Hence, the focus will be on maintaining the existing collections and diversifying the collections with plants from various climates similar to that of the Rocky Mountain West region, with an emphasis on Central Asia, South Africa, Western United States, and Patagonia. This will be achieved by making seed collecting trips and by purchasing wild collected seeds from other known sources. The resources needed for maintaining existing collections will be reliable and expanded greenhouse space and resources needed for diversifying collections will be funding to support seed collection expeditions and purchase of wild collected seeds. Timeline: Activity Updated & improved labeling Improved interpretation Improved irrigation system Expanded propagation space Wild-collected seed purchases Secure funding for seed collection expeditions Seed collection expeditions Removal of over-grown conifers 8

9 i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Horticulture and the Curator/Horticulturist responsible for the Alpine collections. Activity Updated & improved labeling Improved interpretation Improved irrigation system Expanded propagation space Wild collected seed purchases Secure funding for seed collection expeditions Seed collection expeditions Removal of overgrown conifers Evaluation Procedure Every species identified at least once in the garden Interpretive panel in place and informal survey of visitors on educational usefulness A working system in place with very minimal handwatering Designated greenhouse space for alpine plants in place Number and kind of species purchased and propagation success Funding in place at least 6 months before the seed collection expedition Number and kind of species collected during each of the 3 collection trips and propagation success of seeds collected Large sized conifers removed Evaluation Time End of each year compare accession database with the labels displayed December 2007 During the growing season of 2007 and 2008 December 2010 At the end of each year Every 6 months At the end of each collection trip and monitor propagation results monthly End of each year Person Responsible Horticulturist, Manager of Plant Records Horticulturist, Interpretation Coordinator Horticulturist, Irrigation Specialist, Director of Garden Operations Horticulturist, Propagator, Director of Garden Operations Horticulturist, Propagator Director of Development, Director of Horticulture Horticulturist, Propagator Horticulturist 9

10 2. Amenity Collection 10

11 a) Description This collection is unique in that it does not have a location or a defined number of plants. The Amenity Collection is more a theme that showcases Rocky Mountain and Plains horticulture with the express purpose of serving our local community. This community includes plant societies, professionals in the Green Industry and educational institutions as well as the general public. This service provides take home messages about local plant palettes including the full spectrum of plants trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. This collection demonstrates new cultivars and hybrids suitable for the Rocky Mountain and Plains region, a semi-arid steppe climate. It provides information on plant combinations, cultural practices and aesthetics. It is flexible in that it changes and adapts to new horticultural techniques and therefore its service to the community is on-going. In many ways, because of its direct influence and benefits to our community, it becomes one of our most important collections. It not only serves the first part of the Garden s mission of connecting people with plants it also delights and inspires visitors with relevant, take home ideas and information. b) Collections Content This collection encompasses a wide range of plant material (Genera) that perform outstandingly in the semi-arid climate of our Rocky Mountain and Plains region. Constantly evolving horticultural techniques that conserve water, protect plants, eliminate invasive species, and recycle and conserve organic materials and therefore contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of living are demonstrated through the Amenity Collection. By continuously expanding and raising this collection to a higher level, Denver Botanic Gardens remains a leading cultural institution in the United States. The Amenity Collection at Denver Botanic Gardens is recognized by the public for leading the way to good stewardship of the earth and our environment through many venues. These include trials of new plants and planting techniques, Plant Select and Champion Tree programs that inspire the community and diverse educational and training resources for not only the gardeners, students and researchers, but also the general public. The Amenity Collection is impossible to assess from a purely numbers point of view, however the following statistics are for some notable genera that figure prominently here. Genus # Species # Taxa # Garden locations Hemerocallis Iris Paeonia Rosa Syringa Viburnum

12 c) History of the Collection This has been an on-going collection (not as a named collection but as a concept) since the inception of the Gardens. It has changed and evolved with changes and improvements in cultural practices. d) Justification This is first and foremost a collection aimed at our Rocky Mountain and Plains semiarid steppe climate residents and visitors. This collection s goal is to serve and benefit the broadest spectrum of gardeners. There is no more direct way to connect people with plants than to demonstrate how plants can work for each and every person in the community, for each situation and do it in a way that delights and inspires. e) Strengths The strength of this collection rests in the broad spectrum of our community it directly benefits. Its on-going ability to change and adapt through demonstrating new techniques, growing of new plant cultivars and continuing to inspire our community with fresh horticultural ideas and practices makes this collection extremely valuable. It displays a unique aspect in that all parts of this collection are completely accessible at all times to the community. f) Weaknesses Inadequate resources to complete horticultural evaluations. Inadequate resources to interpret knowledge gained from evaluations to the public. Need increased and well documented evaluations. Need to improve outreach to green industry professionals, educators, plant societies, regional gardeners and visitors. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Develop both scientific and cultural evaluations of plants best suited for the Rocky Mountain and Plains region and then relay this information to the community. This can be accomplished through brochures, classes and outreach. Educate the community on the importance and relevance of this collection to the community. Create a horticulture position that would curate this collection and funds to accomplish these resource goals. Obtain sufficient funding to support this collection. Address development plans for this collection. Develop approaches to meaningful plant acquisitions. h) Implementation Strategy To maintain and enhance the Amenity collections, the implementation strategy will be to develop a scientific evaluation process to assess the suitability of new 12

13 horticultural varieties and hybrids for their suitability to the Rocky Mountain and Plains region. Establishing the evaluation process will need funding to support staff time and materials. This can be accomplished by actively writing grant proposals. Once an evaluation process is in place, the next step will be to develop educational programs and interpretation to convey evaluation results to the public. Timeline: Activity Develop protocols for establishing a new variety evaluation process Plan and implement an evaluation program Develop and implement educational program Develop and implement interpretation i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Horticulture and the Curator/Horticulturist responsible for the Amenity collections. Activity Evaluation program Education program Evaluation Procedure Successful procurement of funds and documented results from the trials Number of programs communicating the results of the evaluation program in place Evaluation Time Periodically until the evaluation program is in place and then evaluate results of the program at the end of each program term At the end of each year Person Responsible Horticulturist, Director of Horticulture, Director of Fund Development Horticulturist, Director of Education, Director of Horticulture 13

14 Interpretation program The evaluation program is well interpreted to the public At the end of each year Horticulturist, Interpretation Coordinator, Manager of Plant Records 14

15 3. Aquatic Collection 15

16 a) Description The aquatic collection consists of the following sub-collections: Hardy Waterlilies Tropical Waterlilies Historical waterlilies (Denver Botanical Gardens Waterlily Trials) Nymphaea Denver s Delight Lotuses Victoria waterlilies Tropical marginals Hardy marginals Floating Plants Wiersema Acquisition (species tropical and hardy waterlilies) Carnivorous plants b) Collections Content Sub-collection # Families # Genera # Species # Taxa # Accessions Hardy Waterlilies Tropical Waterlilies Historical Waterlilies 19 Lotuses Victoria* Tropical Marginals Hardy Marginals Floating Plants Wiersema Acquisition Carnivorous Plants 5 24 *Victoria - accessions vary each year, plants tossed at end of summer c) History of the Collection Since the summer of 1973, visitors to the Denver Botanic Gardens have enjoyed an ingenuously designed waterway. Throughout the gardens, the abundance of water allows for numerous grand opportunities to display a multitude of exciting aquatic plants from as far north as Alaska to as far south as South America and Africa. The world s first water gardening society was founded in February 13, 1983, when the Colorado Water Gardening Society (CWGS) was created in a Denver Botanic Gardens classroom. Soon after, the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society (IWGS) were created. Water gardening has grown at a rapid pace ever since, gaining an enthusiastic following worldwide. Denver Botanic Gardens has remained a main force in this movement through programs such as indoor aquatic displays, waterlily trials and the captivating outdoor Fly Trap Feast display. The summer displays at the Gardens, which 16

17 include more than 400 waterlilies and 1,000 plants, focus attention on the enduring power of water gardens, especially in a steppe climate. In 1987 and 1997 Denver Botanic Gardens and the Colorado Water Gardening Society hosted the International Waterlily Society Symposium. The first ever waterlily trials were hosted at Denver Botanic Gardens at the 1997 symposium. Waterlilies that the Denver Botanic Gardens have named and helped introduce, Nymphaea Colorado and N. Joey Tomocik, have received international recognition for their excellence. d) Justification The summer displays of waterlilies, Victoria waterlilies, and lotuses are extremely popular and are enjoyed by visitors of all ages. School groups are always excited to see the carnivorous plants in the Fly Trap Feast. The volunteer contribution of the Colorado Water Gardening Society in support of the water gardens is extraordinary. Every spring, volunteers assist in putting the outdoor display together and dismantle them in the fall. Accomplished water gardeners from across the world come to see and enjoy Denver Botanic Gardens renowned collection. Hybridizers, growers and nurseries are extremely interested in this collection, sometimes traveling long distances to photograph and work with the collection. The media, artists and photographers are frequent visitors to our displays. During the summer, interns are trained in water gardening and the care of this collection. The water gardens and water gardens collection have made impressive strides in connecting people with plants. Relationships have been built with the Colorado Water Gardening Society (CWGS) and Victoria Conservatory. CWGS hosts a summer Water Blossom Festival where visitors are exposed to the basics and fun of water gardening. Extensive volunteer opportunities provide an opportunity for staff and volunteers to cooperate in mutually beneficial experiences. The Gardens/CWGS connection is revered and is one of best examples of mutual support. The Denver Botanic Gardens-Victoria Conservancy relationship is another example of a collaboration supporting our mission of connecting people and plants. The Conservancy each year grows and donates Victoria waterlilies for our summer display. The plants are accessioned upon arrival and de-accessioned in the fall. e) Strengths Expertise allows for the cultivation and over-wintering for a multitude of plants, including both hardy and tropical plants. Extensive volunteer help (especially from Colorado Water Gardening Society) provides valuable help in maintaining collections by creating, maintaining and dismantling the massive summer displays. Affiliations with most reputable nurseries, collectors, and hybridists allows for acquisition of quality plants. Proximity and coordination with Victoria Conservancy ensures supply of excellent Victoria waterlilies each year. Availability of greenhouse space allows for the cultivation of a multitude of tropical 17

18 waterlilies. A refrigerator maintained at 55 F is used to store numerous tropical waterlily tubers. Many outstanding plants have been named and introduced in coordination with leading hybridists and nurseries. The Wiersema Acquisition provides an opportunity to participate in a valuable conservation program and to work with one of the most respected aquatic botanists, Dr. John Wiersema. Ample pools allow us to showcase the collection. f) Weaknesses Most plants (totaling 700 1,000) are moved into outdoor displays for the summer. Dismantling the displays, getting the plants into their proper over-wintering locations, and keeping the labels/inventory correct is a monumental and challenging task. Opportunities for creating additional displays within the Gardens and outside of the Gardens (outreach program) draw on the curator s time. Creating and maintaining effective displays is always a high priority. Plants are often in transition. Fluctuations in the water system create challenges in keeping the waterlilies healthy and performing at their best. There is the tendency to keep excessive plants. Carnivorous plant collection needs more diversity. The knowledge of this collection is limited to just one staff person the curator of the collection. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Diversify the carnivorous plant collection. Due to lack of space and staff resources, the collections need to be prioritized. Scrutinize all procedures looking to avoid duplicate and excess plants, improve labeling and better utilize allotted space. Provide training to additional staff in the maintenance of the aquatic collection. Cooperate with Victoria Conservancy to include registration of Nymphaea William McLane and N. Stan Skinger. Continued emphasis on maintaining greenhouse space as a show case area. Continue with Waterlily trials. Upgrade the Victoria waterlily display. Improve educational and interpretive signs. Increased greenhouse space and an upgraded heating system would produce more and larger plants. h) Implementation Strategy Since the knowledge about this collection is limited to just one staff member, the priority of this collection will be to train another staff member in the care and maintenance of this collection. The resources needed will be the allocation of funds to support an additional staff to this collection. This collection will be reevaluated to prioritize the content of the collection and deaccession duplicate and excess plants, and diversity of other taxa that fully represent this collection will be improved. Interpretation of the water display is also 18

19 a priority. Timeline: Activity Staff training for care of the collection Reevaluation & prioritization of collection content Diversification of underrepresented taxa Develop and Install interpretive sign i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Horticulture and the Curator/Horticulturist responsible for the Aquatic collections. Activity Staff training for care of the collection Reevaluation & prioritization of collection content Diversification of underrepresented taxa Develop and Install interpretive sign Evaluation Procedure A staff member in place and trained in care and maintenance techniques Complete inventory of the collection and deaccessioning duplicate and excess plants Acquisition of new plants Evaluation Time Every six months End of each year End of each year Person Responsible Curator of Aquatic collections, Director of Horticulture Curator, Manager of Plant Records Curator New signs in place End of 2007 Curator, Interpretation Coordinator 19

20 4. Cactus and Succulent Collection 20

21 a) Description This collection is divided into two sub-collections: Hardy Cacti and Succulents, Non- Hardy Cacti and Succulents. Definitions: Hardy Plants: For the purposes of this report a plant defined as hardy is a plant that is expected to survive three or more years outside in USDA hardiness zone five with little or no damage. Marginal Plants: Plants that are expected to survive between one and three years or only in a very specific microclimate are defined as Marginal. Some plants currently defined as Marginal may eventually be found to be Hardy. A plant defined as marginal is a good candidate for further study and for attempts to obtain wild collected specimens from colonies in particularly high elevations or cold locations. Non-Hardy Plants: Plants not expected to survive a full year are Non-Hardy and are included in the Non-Hardy section of the collection. b) Collections Content Succulents are generally defined as plants that can store water in their leaves, stems or roots. This definition is broader than that which is applied to most succulent collections as it could include many plants, for example: bulbs, which are not generally considered succulents. For the purpose of this report plants included in this collection are those generally accepted as succulents. This includes all members of the following families: Cactaceae, Agavaceae, Portulacaceae, Aizoaceae, Crassulaceae, Aloaceae and some members of other families including Euphorbiaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Apocyanaceae, Dracaenaceae. In the table below, unidentified species have generally been excluded unless otherwise stated there are about 170 unidentified accessions in the Cactus and Succulent Collection out of a total of over 3,000. Hardy Marginal Hardy & Marginal Non- Hardy Number of Taxa ,262 Number of Families Number of Genera Number of Species Number of Subspecies, Cultivars, Varieties and Hybrids Number of Accessions (Including unidentified species) Total Hardy & Non-Hardy , ,957 1,054 3,011 Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection : The aim of this collection is to represent as complete a collection of hardy cacti and succulents as possible. It is difficult to define how complete our current collection is as there is no resource available stating which succulents are Hardy in Denver. There are 21

22 many plants that have not yet been tested. Currently the Hardy and Marginal collection has representatives from nine different families. It is unlikely that there will ever be many hardy succulent representatives from Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae or Fouquieriaceae. The hardy members of Dracaenaceae (Nolina and Dasylirion), though currently included in Dracaenaceae in BG Base have been moved to Agavaceae in Flora of North America 1. For the purposes of this report they will also be included under Agavaceae with the intent that this be changed eventually in BG Base. This leaves five primary families as a focus for the Hardy and Marginal plants: Agavaceae, Aizoaceae, Cactaceae, Crassulaceae and Portulacaceae. Non-Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection : The aim of this collection is to represent a good cross-section of succulents from many parts of the world & many families for display in the Succulent House and seasonal outdoor displays. These plants are regularly changed in and out of the Succulent House as required. The Non-Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection have representatives from 20 families. Though some families, such as Cactaceae have many more representatives than a family such as Welwitschiaceae for the indoor collection, they cannot be considered more important. This is partially because the aim of the indoor collection is to show as wide a variety of succulents as possible, Welwitschia are plants that most people would rarely get an opportunity to see. Also, in the case of Welwitschiaceae, Welwitschia mirabilis is the only plant in the family. Similarly, many of the other families represented only have a few succulent members; in many of these cases visitors are surprised to find that their common garden plants have succulent relatives. The Non-Hardy Collection is displayed in the Succulent House with the back up collection in the Hoop House. Space is very limited and this in turn limits the number of plants in the collection, in particular large specimens used in outdoor displays. The epiphytic cacti are housed in the Orchid Greenhouse as the conditions are more suitable for them here, and are used for display with the other tropical plants. c) History of the Collection Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection: There have been several growth periods for this collection. The first was when Sedum, Sempervivum and Rosularia were planted early in the Rock Alpine Garden's history. Additionally an extensive range of hardy plants from South Africa was developed, most of which are now located in South African Plaza. When the Dryland Mesa (then called the Xeriscape Garden) was built around 1987 large numbers of Opuntia and ball cacti were added. These persisted fairly well over the next ten years or so, although many of the rarer ones dwindled. In recent years many more cacti have been obtained from several sources (notably Mesa Gardens) in addition to trials of the first of giant Yucca 1 Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds Flora of North America North of Mexico. 7+ vols. New York and Oxford. 22

23 and Agave, particularly within the Crossroads area. Non- Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection: For several years there was an assorted collection of non-hardy cacti and succulents in the greenhouses. This collection languished for many years due to lack of staff resources. The collection has improved in recent years resulting in the former Alpine House being converted, in 2004, into a display space currently known as the Succulent House. d) Justification The main audience is the general public, many of whom want to learn more about low water adapted plants that can be used in their own gardens. Both collections are appealing to children as they can all quickly recognize a Cactus and for many children succulents are the first plants they try to grow at home. Denver has a strong Cactus and Succulent Society who look to Denver Botanic Gardens as a place they can go to find the more unusual succulents and to learn more about them. The Hardy Cactus and Succulent collection directly relates to the mission in that many of the plants are from the Rocky Mountain Region and similar regions around the world. These plants are some of the most xeric plants that can be grown in this region. The nonhardy collection provides an opportunity for the residents of Denver to view a wider range of succulents not often seen in the outdoor landscape. Both the hardy and non-hardy collections capture the attention of visitors. The unusual shapes and textures of the plants provide year-round interest both indoors and out. e) Strengths Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection: Overall the Hardy Cactus and Succulent collection is strong and includes a large proportion of plants that are hardy in the Denver area. This collection has been steadily increasing in numbers and quality over the last few years. There is currently a fair balance between species plants and hybrids. Aesthetic qualities: Cacti and succulents provide year round structure, texture and color to a large percentage of the outdoor gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens. They are generally mixed in with other non-succulents that have similar cultural requirements. The displays demonstrate effectively how to create low water gardens that are attractive and interesting. Specific families: Collections of Agaveaceae, Aizoaceae, Cactaceae (particularly Opuntia, Cylindropuntia, and Echinocereus), Crassulaceae (particularly Sempervivum and Sedum) are especially strong, though all have room for further assessment and expansion. Plants of known wild origin: Many of the plants in this collection are of known wild collected origin. This adds value to the collection as the plants are as near to the pure species as is possible 23

24 without contamination from plants from other locations. Though this is a strength of this collection it is an area that needs further work. Testing for hardiness: Many plants in the hardy succulent collection were the first to be tried for hardiness in the area. Several plants are probably the largest or only specimens on the eastern slope of Colorado, though this is hard to verify. Non-Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection: This collection is not outstanding compared to other institutions. This is primarily due to available resources. However, based on the resources available it is an interesting and useful collection. Diversity: This collection is very diverse with plants from many areas of the world and many plant families. It shows the variety that exists in succulents. There is a good balance between the more common plants that can be bought and grown by the typical visitor, and the more unusual that can probably only be seen at botanic gardens by most. Aesthetic qualities: The Succulent House has year-round interest with many plants being winter blooming. f) Weaknesses Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection: Documentation of testing Though the extensive experimentation done with this collection is definitely a strength and the documentation is good for living specimens, better records could be kept of experimentation with hardiness. Specifically very little data is available, beyond what individual staff members remember, on which plants did not survive and why. This would be useful data in creating a list of things to try for the future. Taxonomy Many of the succulent families are taxonomically unclear and are changing constantly. This has led to synonymous names being used for the same plants in the collections, and even for the same plant to have different labels in visitor displays. Non-Hardy Cactus and Succulent Collection: Lack of wild collected specimens: Though a percentage of this collection is of known wild collected origin, greater integrity could be gained by increasing this percentage. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Continue testing: Research and prioritize plants to test. Collect plants from communities growing at higher elevations or from areas where other plants from those areas have already been successful. Consider trying to build collections of Opuntia from known historical collections such as Claude Barr s and Mary Ann Heacock s selections. Most of these should be 24

25 hardy and should be preserved as a collection. Research new hybrids available and assess for inclusion in collection, for example there are many new Echinocereus hybrids currently being produced which would probably be hardy. Increase communication with other local experts to see what they are growing that is not being grown at Denver Botanic Gardens. Try to have Denver Botanic Gardens act as a central place where information on testing can be recorded. Contacts are available which would allow extensive trialling of plants from the Trans-Pecos region of Texas for example. Taxonomy: Eliminate use of synonymous names. The plant names are constantly changing and it is not possible to determine which names / sources should be used forever, however an attempt can be made to choose the most accepted names for the plants we currently have and to update these fairly regularly. Starting points would be to find which names other similar institutions are using, particularly Albuquerque Botanic Gardens, Huntington Botanic Gardens and Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. It should be noted that there is not a taxonomist on staff and that though plant records and horticulture staff work together on this problem throughout the plant collections, keeping up with changing taxonomy could be a full time position. Deaccession any unidentified plants of unknown origin: Unidentified plants of unknown origin, are unlikely to be identified in the future. Unless these plants have been specifically identified as being very unusual they should be eliminated. Unidentified plants of known origin can remain as future identification should be possible. Documentation of plant trials: This would be assisted by the creation of a trial area or garden Documentation of unsuccessful plant trials how and why, should be recorded. For example: if a plant rots, this is noted so that the next time it is tried cultural conditions can be modified. h) Implementation Strategy The highest priority with this collection is the implementation of a trial program, which will require collection trips to acquire seeds and vegetative materials. Additional greenhouse space and test plots will be needed for a successful trial program. Ongoing taxonomic work is also critical to establishing scientific credibility to this collection. 25

26 Timeline: Activity Development and implementation of a trial program Seed collection expeditions Taxonomic research Deaccessioning of unidentified plants of unknown origin i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Horticulture and the Horticulturist responsible for the Cactus & Succulent collections. Activity Development and implementation of a trial program Seed collection expeditions Taxonomic research Deaccessioning of unidentified plants of unknown origin Evaluation Procedure Program in place with results documented Number and kind of species collected during each of the collection trips and propagation success of seeds collected Consistent naming in accordance with International standards of nomenclature Removal of these plants from the collection Evaluation Time Every 6 months At the end of each collection trip and monitor propagation results monthly Every 6 months End of the year Person Responsible Horticulturist, Propagator Horticulturist, Propagator Horticulturist, Manager of Plant Records Horticulturist, Manager of Plant Records 26

27 5. Native Plant Collection 27

28 a) Description The Native Plant collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens are subdivided and defined as follows: Sub Collections: Colorado Native Collection: Defined as those plants which are known to occur naturally (pre-european settlement) within the borders of Colorado, but not necessarily exclusive to Colorado. Western North American Native Collection: Defined as those plants native (pre-european settlement) to other regions of Western North America, but not found naturally within the borders of Colorado. b) Collections Content Colorado Natives only Other Western Natives only Colorado & Other Western Natives Total Number of accessions Number of families Number of genera Number of species Number of garden hybrids & cultivars Number of accessions of known wild origin The table below shows the families with the most genera and species & subspecies represented from Colorado and Western North America (not Colorado) Colorado Western North America Family Genera Species & Subspecies Genera Species & Subspecies Agavaceae Alliaceae 4 20 Apiaceae 4 5 Asclepiadaceae 1 9 Asteraceae Boraginaceae 4 6 Brassicaceae Cactaceae Caryophyllaceae 4 6 Crassulaceae

29 Cuprressaceae 5 15 Cyperaceae Ericaceae 4 14 Fabaceae Fagaceae 1 31 Juncaceae 2 6 Lamiaceae Liliaceae Onagraceae Pinaceae Poaceae Polemoniaceae 6 13 Polygonaceae Portulacaceae 4 18 Rananculaceae Rosaceae Salicaceae 2 11 Scrophulariaceae c) History of the Collection The Native Plant Collection began in 1961 with the creation of the Gates Montane garden. This garden was designed to provide Denver residents easy access to a setting similar to that found west of the city in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Evergreen. Though not exclusively native, it did include specimens of most of the trees native to Colorado, with some under-plantings of native wildflowers and shrubs. This garden matured over time, but persisted largely unchanged until the mid-1990 s when overdue rejuvenation became imperative. Many non-native and invasive species have been removed, and the diversity of the Colorado native collection has improved greatly since then. The garden now also includes a section devoted to the display of plants found in the montane zones of the west outside of Colorado, including the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges. For nearly 20 years this was the only representation of native plants in Denver Botanic Gardens. In response to severe droughts, several initiatives began to expand and diversify this small collection in the late 1970 s and early 1980 s. Though not considered a native garden, the Japanese Garden, begun in 1979, brought over one hundred native Ponderosa Pines to center stage as integral elements of the design. This was the first of several initiatives that increased our inventory of native plants substantially. The Rock Alpine Garden, begun in 1979, has featured many of Colorado s true alpines, along with hundreds of alpine species from similar mountain ranges around the world. Many of these are short-lived at this altitude and their presence in this garden is often fleeting. These plantings are augmented by many other species that are well suited to the rocky, fast-draining soils of the interior West. This collection is treated separately in this 29

30 document as the Rock Alpine Collection. In 1983 the creation of the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden brought a large infusion of prairie natives. Its purpose was to give city dwellers a sample of what Denver had been like a century ago: a wide open prairie where slight changes in topography, soil and exposure fostered a subtle diversity in native drought-tolerant plant communities. This provides an important frame of reference, especially to newcomers who are not familiar with the climate and conditions of the Colorado Front Range. Thanks to the forethought and early work in this effort, the essential elements of this garden still flourish with only occasional intervention. From these gardens were supplemented with many new plant species. With the subsequent creation of the Dryland Mesa Garden (originally the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden ) the native collections expanded to include many more perennials, shrubs, trees and cacti from the arid uplands of the West. This has proven to be an ideal venue for further experimentation with Western natives, however limited space here severely limits future trials in this garden. The Endangered Species Garden is our smallest native garden, created in 1992 to highlight several rare plants found primarily in Colorado s shale barrens along the Front Range and on Colorado s western slope. This garden currently maintains populations of Physaria spp., Lesquerella spp., Penstemon spp., and Oxybaphus rotundifolia; all endangered plants of Colorado. The Ornamental Grass Garden was also created in 1992 to feature many of the most desirable grasses for garden use. This touches on the reality that without intervention all of Denver would still be grass-covered prairie, and underscores the ornamental value of both native and non-native grasses in our cultivated landscapes. In 1993, the creation of the Dwarf Conifer Garden added yet another dimension to the collection. Dozens of unique dwarf conifers were acquired from Jerry Morris, a local collector. These were produced from grafted witch s brooms found on native conifers throughout the West, and represent a largely unique and unduplicated collection of native germplasm with great potential for horticultural use in arid parts of the West. This collection continues to expand as new specimens are discovered. The Watersmart Garden was established in 1994 with a focus on drought tolerant plants from the West, and similar regions around the world. This new approach demonstrated the many ways that natives could thrive and add regional resonance along side plants from central Asia, the Mediterranean, South America and South Africa. This new approach has brought many native plants into the mainstream of horticulture, and the pallet of plants used here continues to evolve. The gardens along York Street and the Denver Botanic Gardens parking lot were renovated during the parking lot reconstruction in These are now primarily native gardens with several compatible non-native perennial cultivars included to extend 30

31 flowering season and add diversity. This provides an important first impression to guests as they enter the Botanic gardens. In 1999 and 2000, the remaining three borders surrounding the Amphitheater in the heart of Denver Botanic Gardens were transformed from annual displays to native gardens. The former annual plantings, while attractive, were indistinct from those one might have seen at any public garden or city park anywhere in this country. These new Western Panorama Borders feature signature trees of Colorado, and many of the associated grasses, perennials and shrubs found in these native habitats. These borders now provide a distinctly western sense of place in the heart of the Gardens. In 2001, the existing Native Peoples garden was redesigned with a more specific focus on the plants of the Four Corners region, especially the Colorado Plateau. The redesigned garden was named Sacred Earth, and included four areas with distinct natural plant communities and food crop areas, featuring approximately 150 different plants. For many of them, interpretation explains the uses of and relationship to the indigenous people of the region. This was accomplished with the help of an advisory team of Native American community leaders from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, regional university staff, and the Horticulture department at Denver Botanic Gardens. Also in 2001, The Wildflower Treasures garden was created. This is a Western interpretation of the traditional trough gardens found in many Botanical Gardens in Europe. It features a central plaza with large containers; each planted to represent a rare and specialized habitat found in Colorado, planted with primarily small and specialized native plants. This arrangement allows for more successful cultivation and interpretation of these uncommon plants, and includes several that are endemic only to remote areas of Colorado. This plaza is surrounded by beds devoted entirely to western native wildflowers. The Crossroads Garden (Yuccarama) was developed in 2001 and 2002, and focuses on the hardiest members of the Agavaceae family. This includes species of Yucca, Nolina, Agave, Hesperaloe and Dasylirion all Western natives. This is a dramatic and sculptural display that draws the immediate attention of guests as they enter the Gardens, and emphasizes the use of drought-tolerant native and non-native plants. d) Justification The majority of our audience lives within the Front Range region of Colorado, and comes especially from the metro Denver area. However, out-of-state and international guests visit frequently, especially those interested in viewing our unique native collections and observing the naturalistic style in which they are presented. With our broad range of collections and changing displays, we are able to reach a broad range of audiences. The Native Plant Collection directly meets our primary goal of connecting people with plants, especially the plants of the Rocky Mountain region. We provide a broad range of garden styles with diverse content for visitors to experience, from Alpines to plants of the low deserts. While all of our native gardens fill a unique niche, due to their central 31

32 location the Western Panorama Borders are the most prominent to the visitor. These surround the central Amphitheater and are planted in a naturalistic style. They are strongly evocative of our natural Western landscapes, yet structured enough that they can inspire visitors to consider similar landscape options in their own gardens. This brings the Native Plant Collections to the forefront as the real and symbolic core of our work at Denver Botanic Gardens. In addition, Wildflower Treasures, Dryland Mesa, Sacred Earth, the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden and the Gates Montane Garden each showcase specific native habitats and plant communities, providing a broad representation of conditions found in Colorado and the West. The Sacred Earth garden also focuses attention on historical and present-day uses of many native plants by the indigenous peoples of the Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners region. A teaching space is central to this garden, and is used mainly by school groups and special programs. e) Strengths Colorado has 3430 native taxa found within its borders (Source: Ron Hartman, B.E. Nelson, A Checklist of Vascular Plants of Colorado, Rocky Mtn Herbarium, University of Wyoming, Laramie.) Of these, Denver Botanic Gardens grows 655. The native plant collections exist within gardens that have great aesthetic appeal and strongly evoke images of our natural landscapes. This is one of the Gardens great strengths, and its diversity is unparalleled in other public gardens of the region. Collections of Penstemon, Yucca, Quercus, Pinus, and the families Cactaceae and Poaceae are especially strong. A complete and lengthy assessment of each family and genus would need to be completed in order to speak fully to the matter of strengths and weaknesses. Broadly speaking, the Native Plant Collections at Denver Botanic Gardens are considered to be strong representative collections. As illustrated in the preceding data, the collection includes great diversity, but seldom includes a complete collection of any specific families or genera. Collections cover the entire spectrum, from barely representative to complete collections within a family or genus. Authorities often differ on exact nomenclature, which can alter numbers significantly, particularly in a difficult family such as Cactaceae or Poaceae. The following table is a sampling of Colorado Natives at Denver Botanic Gardens: Family Genera possible Genera in collection Species, Subspecies and Varieties possible. Species, Subspecies and varieties in Collection. Genus within family with greatest number of species, ssp, and var. - number possible Agavaceae Yucca Cactaceae Opuntia Fagaceae Quercus Number in collection 32

33 Orchidaceae Platanthera Pinaceae Pinus Poaceae Elymus Rosaceae Potentilla Scrophulariaceae Penstemon Wild collected germplasm is especially valuable to our collection, as it usually represents pure species without genetic material from far-off sources. These are plants that have evolved under, and adapted to, local conditions and are potentially better suited for use in regional horticulture. At this time nearly 18% of our native Colorado collections and 25% of other western native collections are wild-collected, or nursery-grown of known wild origin. The remainder of the collection is nursery-grown, and exact origin is not usually known beyond the nursery source. While these are relatively strong numbers, the integrity of the collection could be improved by incorporating more wild-collected taxa. Of the 97 accepted plants considered endemic to Colorado (occurring only within the state of Colorado,) Denver Botanic Gardens has grown and maintained 23 species. The Gardens has significant potential to act as a repository for more endemic and threatened or endangered plants. These could be used as valuable educational tools for conservation awareness. f) Weaknesses The majority of our native collections have been assembled based on ease of culture and suitability for horticulture and use by the gardening public. Aggressive plants, or those that require highly specialized conditions or plant associations are less likely to be included. At this time, several families and genera of plants are very poorly represented. Examples include Orchidaceae and all families of ferns and fern allies. Most of these present marked difficulties in culture and procurement, or may in some cases be illegal to acquire due to endangered status. These are valuable in their own right, interesting to taxonomists and important to conservationists and researchers. Still, most have little practical application in horticulture and are not considered high priorities for our collections at Denver Botanic Gardens. While we list 278 garden hybrids and named cultivars as derived from plants that are native to Colorado, most of these have been selected from other regions where these plants also occur, especially the Midwest. There is great opportunity to select and name cultivars from our own indigenous germplasm, thereby bringing better adapted plants into the market. Plant exploration and trials are the only way to acquire and introduce such unique material. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Conduct further in-depth assessment of collection: Numerous families and genera are absent or barely represented in our collections. Further systematic examination of the collection would be a useful tool in determining the direction and potential content of future acquisitions. Prioritize future acquisitions: 33

34 Those with greatest potential should be catalogued and prioritized. Expand exploration and wild collection efforts: Several western regions have exceptional potential as sources for plant suitable for horticulture in Colorado. These include, but are not limited to the following: Big Bend area West Texas Edwards Plateau Texas High elevations within Sonoran Desert Arizona, Mexico High Elevations within Chihuahuan Desert New Mexico, Mexico Eastern slope Sierra Nevada California, Nevada Great Basin ranges Southern Nevada Eastern slope Cascade Range, Blue Mts. and Wallowa Mts. Oregon Colorado Plateau and Mogollon Rim Arizona, Utah All of Colorado, especially: Uncompahgre Plateau SW Colorado High Plains E Colorado and bordering states Establish a Trial Garden program. This is needed to systematically test promising species and selections for future introduction to the horticultural trade via Denver Botanic Gardens plant introduction program, Plant Select. h) Implementation Strategy The Denver Botanic Gardens has a strong Native Plant collection and expansion of this collection will focus on conducting further in-depth examination of this collection to analyze the gaps in the collection and prioritize future acquisitions. Once this is determined, future work will include collection trips and establishing test plots to select plants with ornamental value to the horticulture trade. Resources needed will be staff time and funding for plant collection trips. Establishing a trial program will require space dedicated for this program in addition to staff time and program funding. Timeline: Activity Collection assessment Seed collection expeditions Develop and implement a trial program i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Horticulture and the Curator of Native Plant collections. 34

35 Activity Collection assessment Seed collection expeditions Develop and implement a trial program Evaluation Procedure Assessment completed Number and kind of species collected during each of the collection trips and propagation success of seeds collected Program in place with documented results of performance of plants in the gardens Evaluation Time Every 6 months At the end of each collection trip and monitor propagation results monthly Every 6 months Person Responsible Curator of Native plants Curator, Propagator Curator 35

36 6. Tropical Collection 36

37 a) Description The plantings within the Boettcher Memorial Conservatory are designed to showcase plant species found in each of the lowland tropical rainforests around the world and also include cultivated varieties chosen for their exceptional form or color. With hundreds of thousands of tropical plants in the world, it would be impossible to collect, grow and display them all. With limited space, every botanic garden must realistically evaluate the facilities it has and what plant groups or families would best serve the institution s goals and needs. Currently, Denver Botanic Gardens tropical collections contain nearly 3500 taxa representing over 2400 species from 656 genera and over 120 families. Denver Botanic Gardens tropical collections have particularly strong representation from Central and South America. Asian tropicals are also well represented but more plant species from Australia and Africa could be included. While the Gardens tropical displays encompass a wide range of plant families, over the years several have obtained prominence in our collections. The tropical collection serves as a great resource for indoor gardeners. b) Collections Content Orchidaceae It is estimated that well over 30,000 species of orchids exist on earth and that nearly 70% of those species are epiphytic. Because of enthusiastic volunteers and a strong and active local orchid society, the collection has grown to well over 3,000 accessions representing more than 1,000 species from over 200 genera. The oldest orchid in the Gardens collection is an Asian Coelogyne speciosa, which has been at the institution since The addition of orchids collected by Gardens donors, William and Mickie Thurston, turned a few random plants into an important botanical collection. Over the span of many years, the Thurstons, along with noted orchid specialists, made repeated trips to Central and South America looking for new and unusual plants. Each collection was well documented, herbarium specimens were made, and duplicate divisions were distributed to a number of scientific and botanical institutions, including the Gardens. These early additions established an initial focus on several new world genera including Encyclia and Oncidium, but over the years the collection has diversified to include representative specimens from around the world, as well as man-made hybrids. Perhaps the greatest strength of Denver Botanic Gardens orchid collection is the number of plants that are from known wild origin. Additionally, the continuous display of flowering orchids in the Cloud Forest exhibit provides a year-round attraction for visitors. Bromeliaceae Bromeliads are members of a large family of plants native to tropical and semi-tropical areas of the western hemisphere. Often grown as houseplants, they are admired for their colorful, long-lasting flowers as well as their vase-shaped foliage. Among the more recognizable bromeliads are the pineapple (Ananas comosus) and Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides). The Gardens bromeliad collection was established in the 1970s by a major donation from Mrs. Walter R. Smith of New Orleans and many of the original plants are still in our collection. 37

38 Because of their year round color and interesting growth habit, bromeliads are a particularly appropriate plant family for Denver Botanic Gardens to focus on. Currently our inventories indicate that we have 371 species representing 35 genera but a new inventory needs to be undertaken. Arecaceae The plant family Arecaceae (sometimes referred to as Palmae) is a diverse and ancient family with 2500 species in 200 genera confined almost exclusively to the tropics of the world. Palms are an essential part of any tropical collection and Denver Botanic Gardens is no exception. Due to the many members (and being large trees), a comprehensive collection in culture is impossible. Currently the palm collection is one of diversity attempting to grow and exhibit palms that help to convey to the patron, student and volunteer the vast range of palm morphology, anatomy and habit that exists. Some palms of the collection are important in that they represent rarity either in nature (Neovitchia storckii) or commerce (Pinanga sp. and Carpentaria acuminata) and are valuable from a conservation standpoint. Palms possibly more than any other plant family are most closely associated with patron s perceptions of the tropics and for that reason are invaluable to the Denver Botanic Gardens tropical collection. Certain challenges are inherent when keeping a collection of palms. These include limited space to grow large palms, disease, inability to prune palms once they reach the ceiling (possessing a single meristematic zone) and difficulty transplanting certain species. Despite the horticultural challenges of palms the reward to patrons and staff is immense and is only made better through diligent study, education and interpretation. Araceae Araceae much like Arecaceace is a large and diverse family containing 2000 species in 100 genera. However, aroids (the common term for the family) are not solely confined to the tropics with less than 10 percent of the family inhabiting temperate zones of the world. A tropical collection without aroids would be misrepresentative of tropical ecosystems. Denver Botanic Gardens possesses a moderately large and diverse collection of tropical aroids with 115 species from 22 genera. The diversity of growth habits amongst aroids at Denver Botanic Gardens includes epiphytes (Anthurium scandens ssp. pusillum) terrestrial (Alocasia sp., Colocasia sp., etc) aquatic (Lasia spinosa, Pista sp.) and vines (Philodendron sp). Aroids at Denver Botanic Gardens are currently being expanded but possess almost no wild collected specimens. Zingiberaceae The gingers (common term for plants of the Zingiberaceae family) are related to the palms and aroids, all being monocots. However, the geography of gingers unlike that of the palms and aroids is isolated almost entirely to tropical Southern and Southeast Asia. China alone contains 216 named species and of those 141 are endemic. The collection of plants in the Zingiberaceae family at Denver Botanic Gardens is of moderate size, representing 29 species in 10 Genera compared with the total in the family of 1300 species in 50 genera. The collection at Denver Botanic Gardens has been assembled to represent the diversity within the gingers to include such forms as basal flowering, apical flowering, rhizomatous, tuber forming, mat forming, and others. Recently the collection 38

39 of gingers has grown with some recent acquisitions from US Botanic Gardens, one of which (Scaphochlamys kunstleri) is an epiphyte, a rarity in gingers. The ginger collection at Denver Botanic Gardens is significant in diversity and potential usage and should be expanded to encompass a greater cross section of the family. Begoniaceae The plant family Begoniaceae is made up of three genera with the genus Begonia holding nearly all of the species of the family with an estimated 1000 species. The importance of the Begonia to ornamental horticultural is immeasurable with thousand of hybrids and varieties having been developed since its introduction into European gardens in Of the 1000 species in the genus Begonia, Denver Botanic Gardens possesses only 24 with nearly the same number of hybrids. Genera Hillbrandia and Symbegonia are completely absent from our begonia collection and in the case of Hillbrandia will likely be impossible with the only species of the genus being an endangered species. Ferns Fern is a term to refer to any plant in the division Polypodiophyta made up of nearly 30 families with 300 genera containing 12,000 species. However, at Denver Botanic Gardens like many other institutions, ferns are grouped with other pteridophytes commonly referred to as fern allies. Fern allies include the lycopods, selaginellas, equisetums and psilotums. Ferns and their allies were the dominant flora 200,000,000 years ago creating lush forests which would later become the vast coal resources we utilize to power much of our modern society. Today ferns inhabit nearly all climates of the world yet it is the tropics that possess the majority of fern species. Denver Botanic Gardens tropical fern collection including allies number 49 species in 22 genera among 13 families, a feeble total when held against the entirety of ferns in the world. A comprehensive collection of ferns at Denver Botanic Gardens is prohibited by space and resources therefore expansion of the collection should strive to include aspects of diversity, educational merit, research opportunities and interest to patrons. Gesneriaceae Gesneriads are a family of mostly tropical plants (both Old and New World) that are familiar to many houseplant aficionados. Gloxinias, African Violets, and Streptocarpus are some of the more familiar and showy members of this family. This familiarity and the opportunity for year round color make gesneriads an appropriate family for DBG to collect. There are roughly 80 genera in the Gesneriaceae family of which the Gardens has 18. This is a collection that could easily be expanded and displayed more effectively. Acanthaceae Like Gesneriaceae, the Acanthus family (Acanthaceae) has many plants that bloom nearly all year long. With over 40 species growing in our collections, there is always something in bloom. Additionally, there are non-tropical Acanthaceae growing in our outdoor collections. This provides a great opportunity to connect our hardy outdoor collections to our indoor tropical exhibits. 39

40 Other groups of importance The above treatments of plant families and groups denotes their importance as a specific collection of significant size and scope however some species are important individually and are unable to be grouped as part of a larger collection. Several families at DBG are not extensive enough to be deemed a collection. Despite this condition, efforts should be made to refine these collections to fulfill some of the priorities mentioned in larger collections. Some families that could benefit from detailed refinement are Anacardiaceae Ericaceae, Urticaceae, Asteraceae, Solanaceae, Asclepidaceae, Rubiaceae, Scrophulariaceae and Piperaceae. Several individuals in the tropical collection should be recognized as heritage plants having been grown at Denver Botanic Gardens since the inception of the tropical collection (circa 1965). These plants include: Callisia fragrans, Eucharis x grandiflora, Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, Cecropia peltata, Cycas circinalis, Calliandra haematocephala, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Scarlet Giant, Ficus aspera, Rondeletia leucophylla, Dombeya elegans, Pilea cadierei, Pilea involucrata, Eletarria cardamomum. In our collection of tropical plants some deserve a status of rarity, three plants are currently in this status (Neoveitchia storckii, Kokia drynarioides and Warszewiczia coccinea). Finally, two groups, a species collection of tropical Nymphea (known as the Wiersema collection) and epiphytic cactus, both of which are tropical in origin will be covered in Aquatic and Cactus and Succulents sections respectively. c) History of the Collection Tropical plants have played an integral part in Denver Botanic Gardens history and continue to be among the favorite attractions to thousands of visitors each year. Before the first formal garden at Denver Botanic Gardens York Street site was even completed, plans were underway for the construction of a state-of-the-art conservatory to showcase tropical plant collections in semi-arid Denver, Colorado. In 1962, the Boettcher Foundation donated $10,000 to develop plans for a tropical conservatory and in 1963, donated an additional $1 million towards its construction. As noted by architects Victor Hornbein and Edward D. White in the November 1964 Green Thumb News, a botanical garden has several functions, including plant research; the exhibition of living plants, among them plants not native to the immediate region. During its construction, these architects and general contactor Gerald H. Phipps developed new and innovative ways to construct what has since become a Denver landmark. As construction progressed, mechanical systems to maintain optimum growing conditions were added and rock and water features installed. Finally, plants were added under the guidance of Ernest Bibee and in January 1966, the Boettcher Memorial Conservatory was dedicated and opened to the public, greatly expanding the diversity of plants on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Orchids and bromeliads were an important part of Denver Botanic Gardens early tropical plant collections and in 1981, an additional display greenhouse was constructed at the west end of the conservatory to showcase these plant families. Named in memory of Margaret E. Marnie Honnen, Marnie s Pavilion allowed visitors the opportunity to view beautiful tropical specimens that had been hidden behind the scenes for so many years. By the early 90 s, many vital systems in the conservatory were showing signs of decline and had become unreliable. Valuable plant collections were at risk so planning 40

41 began for a major renovation. Along with the architecture firm BIOS, Inc., staff and volunteers began brainstorming new botanical and educational themes and drawings for the renovation were completed in Work began in January 1998 with the propagation and removal of existing plants followed by demolition projects. During renovation, new plants were acquired from around the country. A focus of new acquisitions was to have an ever-changing exhibit with a diversity of flowering trees and shrubs to provide color and changing focal points all year through. When the conservatory reopened in the fall of 1998, over 800 species of herbs, shrubs, trees and vines were able to enjoy the lush tropical environment created by improved heating, cooling and humidification systems. With plants flourishing in the newly renovated conservatory, it became apparent that improvements were needed in Marnie s Pavilion as well. In 2001, planning began to replace the rather formal plant displays in this space with a more naturalistic setting for Denver Botanic Gardens epiphytic plant collections. The Cloud Forest Tree exhibit opened in January 2003 with a focus on displaying orchids, bromeliads and other epiphytic plants in a manner more closely resembling what one might find in nature. The tree is constructed of metal culvert pieces, rebar and Styrofoam that has been covered with natural cork bark. Many of the plants growing on the tree are permanently attached while others are rotated into the display as they come into bloom. Over the years, the Boettcher Memorial Conservatory and its associated collections have proved invaluable in executing the Gardens mission of connecting people with plants. The Conservatory recreates a natural ecosystem that affords visitors new plants to see as well as an endless wealth of opportunities to learn. d) Justification While the visiting public is the primary audience for the Denver Botanic Gardens tropical collections, there are also people interested in tropical plant research, like those from Colorado College and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science who use the collections. Numerous Denver area minority populations have heritage in tropical areas of the world, and so the tropical collections have the potential of connecting these populations with their heritage. Tropical plants as a whole are particularly interesting and appealing to the general public and, thus, can readily serve as an important vehicle for introducing the plant world to the public and providing to that public delight and enlightenment. This collection provides educational opportunities for indoor gardeners. Recent visitor surveys indicate that the conservatory and cloud forest tree exhibits have some of the highest visitorship of any gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens. They also have the highest percentage of excellent ratings by our visitors. Education programs, especially youth education, have taken increasing advantage of the conservatory for programmatic use. These programs include Plant Discovery Day, Journey to the Rainforest, and Discovery Backpacks among others. 41

42 The world s tropical ecosystems have great importance far beyond their geographical boundaries, and the Denver Botanic Gardens tropical collections can help people in this region, most of whom will never be able to visit a tropical ecosystem, learn about these ecosystems and their relevance to people everywhere. Little understood is the fact that the Denver area was once in a tropical ecosystem Rocky Mountain plants were once tropical plants! e) Strengths Strong representation of Asian and Central and South American tropical species. Provides year-round interest with a diversity of flowering trees, shrubs, vines, and foliage plants, providing color and changing focal points. Diverse Orchid collection with the opportunity to rotate and display orchids as they come to bloom at the Marnie s Pavilion cloud forest exhibit. Diverse Bromeliad collection. Moderately large and diverse tropical aroid collection. The Zingiberaceae collection showcases a diverse variety of growth forms such as basal flowering, apical flowering, rhizomatous, tuber forming, mat forming, and epiphytic. Offers an endless wealth of learning opportunities. f) Weaknesses Limited representation of Australian and African taxa in the tropical collection. The collections have numerous less desirable and poor quality hybrids that need to be deaccessioned. The backup greenhouses are in poor condition and the environmental control systems need to be renovated to maintain the health of the collection. There has been a history of deterioration of collections with staff vacancy. The Araceae collection does not have any wild collected specimens and this collection also needs to be diversified. Present interpretation and educational programs do not take advantage of the educational potential that a tropical display can provide. New interpretation and educational programs should emphasize conservation, ethnic culture, co-evolution, tropical plant adaptations, etc. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Enhancement of the lowland tropical rainforest display with more representatives from Australia and Africa. Collection improvement by culling less desirable and poor quality hybrids. Improvement of back-up greenhouses to have better environmental flexibility. Diversify sub-collections. Expanding educational public programs such that the tropical collections are utilized to their full potential and to increase winter visitorship. Improved interpretive signs. Development of an emergency rescue list. 42

43 h) Implementation Strategy The tropical collections will to be expanded to include plants from Australia and Africa. Many of the sub-collections will also be expanded. This will be achieved through collection trips or through exchange with other botanic gardens and purchases. Greenhouse renovations are critical in maintaining a healthy tropical collection and it is imperative that renovations are done as soon as funding becomes available. The interpretation will to be improved in the conservatory. An emergency rescue list of plants will be developed and the Bromeliad collection will be evaluated for quality and protocols will be developed for maintaining the health and diversity of this collection. Timeline: Activity Expansion of collections Greenhouse renovations and associated collections care Develop and install interpretive signs Develop an emergency rescue list Develop protocols for care of the collections i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Horticulture and the Curator of Tropical collections. Activity Expansion of collections Greenhouse renovations and associated collections care Evaluation Procedure Number of new plants added to the collection from Australia, Africa and expanded subcollections All greenhouses in operable conditions Evaluation Time End of each year As soon as work is completed Person Responsible Curator Curator, Director of Operations 43

44 Develop and install interpretive signs Sings in place End of each year Curator, Interpretation Coordinator Develop an emergency rescue list Develop protocols for care of the collections The list in place Protocols in place and followed End of 2008 and reviewed and revised every year thereafter End of the year Curator Curator 44

45 7. Steppe Collection 45

46 a) Description Steppe Defined: The Steppe biome is a dry, cold, grassland that is found in all of the continents except Australia and Antarctica. It is mostly found in the USA, Mongolia, Siberia, Tibet and China. Steppe regions are located away from the ocean and close to mountain barriers and therefore have low humidity. Sub Collections: Asian steppe, South American Steppe, African Steppe, North American Steppe Asian Steppe: plants which are naturally occurring in the vast central region of the Asian continent. South American Steppe: plants which are naturally occurring in very small areas of South America (very few in our collection). African Steppe: plants which are naturally occurring in very small areas of Africa, predominantly South Africa (few in collection). North American Steppe: plants which are naturally occurring in a large central area of North America. b) Collections Content Number of Accessions 883 Number of Taxa 504 Number of Genera 163 Number of Families 52 Number of species 469 Number of subspecies, varieties, cultivars 35 Number of Wild Collected Species 89 c) History of the Collection Rock Garden The Steppe Collection at Denver Botanic Gardens finds its origins in the Rock Alpine Garden. Until 1994 and the advent of the Watersmart Garden, the Rock Garden was the only garden where a visitor could find steppe plants within Denver Botanic Gardens. This garden was a testing ground for many of the successful steppe plants one finds today in other areas of Denver Botanic Gardens. Still, there wasn t any interpretation provided to visitors about the relationship between the steppe of Asia and the steppe of North America. Water Smart Garden The concept of the Watersmart Garden, in 1994, lead to the increase in use of Asian Steppe Plants. Watersmart featured a mix of drought tolerant plants from North America, South Africa, South America, Asia and the Mediterranean. The mix of dryland trees, shrubs, and perennials, and the garden s prominent location, has made this one of the most important gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens. It demonstrates a vast array of plant material in a relatively small area that is perfectly suited to this climate. The underlying message is that there are many areas of the world with a very similar climate to that of 46

47 Eastern Colorado and the North American Steppe. Plant Asia Plant Asia was designed in 2001 by Denver Botanic Gardens staff and constructed in 2001 and 2002 by staff. The primary purpose of the Steppe area in this garden is to primarily showcase the drought tolerant plants from the steppes of Asia and educate the public about the parallels between the high steppe of North America and the high steppe climate of Asia. d) Justification Our audience is primarily from the front range of Colorado with a few people from out of state and few visitors from the mountains. Some of our more regular visitors are amateur gardeners who want to learn more about gardening and plants. We also have professional landscape designers, botanists, staff from other botanic gardens and researchers visiting from around the world. Example: In 2004 the Dutch conifer society visited to see our dwarf conifer collection. Our Asian Steppe collection fills the niche of plants from similar areas of the world for this audience on an aesthetic and research level. The Asian Steppe collection is the only one of its kind in North America, making a visit to Denver Botanic Gardens unique. The Asian steppe collection clearly meets the goals of the mission statement. The Asian steppe is clearly a similar climactic region. At Denver Botanic Gardens we are displaying these plants to visitors in a variety of ways. In the Watersmart and Rock Alpine gardens our ever expanding collection is used in conjunction with native plants, South American plants, and South African plants to create year round color and interest. These gardens both have unique design element and themes that make these plants even more attractive to visitors, making these plants more applicable to the home landscape. The steppe area in Plant Asia is unique in that it only features plants from the high plains of Asia. This garden is unique to Denver Botanic Gardens, and probably to all of North America. This is the single area of Denver Botanic Gardens where we can really get the message across about the significance of high Asian plateau flora in relationship to the flora along the front range. The Asian Steppe collection is most important as an interpretive and educational piece to fulfill our mission. e) Strengths Quantitative strengths Given the number of species represented in the collection there are a high number of families represented. In total there are 89 families within three garden spaces. Although the majority of the species listed were originally planted in the Rock Alpine Garden in the late eighties and nineties the number of accessions has risen. This is due to the construction of Plant Asia and the increase in diversity in the Watersmart Garden. Adaptability Since Asian steppe plants have evolved to thrive in climates similar to Denver s, 47

48 Asian steppe plants often exhibit a propensity to thrive in our gardens. True steppe plants are drought, sun and wind tolerant and serve to expand the plant palette for dryland garden design. They are often easy to care for and need little supplemental water. Aesthetic appeal This may be the greatest strength of DBG s steppe collection. The Gardens derive a great aesthetic benefit from plants like Eremurus, Veronica, Acantholimon and Tulipa. These have become signature plants adding color and in some cases winter interest. Interpretive Message Given that the Asian steppe is akin to Colorado s high plains this offers another way to educate the public about other countries in conjunction with Colorado. Perhaps it even lends an exotic feel to the steppe of Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. Unique with a wide range of potential This collection is most likely the only one of its kind in North America. This, coupled with our native plant collection, sets us apart from other botanic gardens and given the vast number of untested (in the Rocky Mountain Region) plants, the Asian steppe collection has an incredible potential for growth and research. Example: Takhtajan outlines the Central Anatolian Province as having a species endemism of 30%. The Armeno-Iranian province contains unique genera like Acanthophylum and Onobrychis and many unique species of Quercus. This gives us the option of expanding our collection in many different directions. f) Weaknesses Very small sample of the actual number of species Our representative collection, in comparison to the large number of species found in the Asian steppe, is quite small. We continue to grow many of the same plants in a number of gardens. Although this is aesthetically pleasing in many gardens the diversity of steppe plants has leveled off over the past five years. More plants could be tested. Space issues We don t have the space to represent some of the larger genera and families. Wild Collected There are only 89 accessions with wild collected data. This offers less integrity to the collection and little chance to exhibit to the visitor what a plant from the wild truly looks like. The only way to increase diversity within this collection is through wild collected seed. Therefore the enhancement of this collection is dependent upon specialized growing conditions. Our facilities are deficient in both space and personnel to handle the specialized needs of growing Asian steppe plants. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities More research needs to be conducted on the Asian Steppe collection and on the African and South American Steppe collection. It would be beneficial to break down what plants are most important to this collection that we already have and what plants need to be acquisitioned to make the collection more comprehensive. It is imperative that we know what we have in our collection and what the future is of the Steppe 48

49 Collection in order to promote Denver Botanic Gardens as the leader in steppe flora. Organize Collection trips to appropriate regions of Asia. A commitment like this would truly make Denver Botanic Gardens a leader in Asian steppe flora. It would be worthwhile to start collaborative efforts with botanic gardens in Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, states of the Former Soviet Union and Iran. Create test beds and reserve greenhouse space to grow and trial the plants. h) Implementation Strategy The major focus for this collection will be to diversify the collection with wild collected material from other Asian, African and South American Steppe regions of the world. This will be accomplished by organizing collection expeditions to these regions. Test plots will be created to trail these plants for adaptation to our region. Enhanced interpretation will also be a priority for this collection. Timeline: Activity Plan, organize and implement collection expeditions Greenhouse propagation Develop and implement testing program Enhance interpretation i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Horticulture and the Horticulturist responsible for the Steppe collections. Activity Evaluation Evaluation Time Person Responsible Plan, organize and implement collection expeditions Procedure Funds raised and number of new plants acquired during these expeditions End of each trip Horticulturist Greenhouse propagation Successful propagation of collected seeds and well documented records Every 6 months Horticulturist, Propagator 49

50 Develop and implement testing program Enhance interpretation Program in place with well documented results of plant adaptability to CO conditions New interpretation in place providing educational messages to visitors End of each trial End of each year Horticulturist Horticulturist, Interpretation Coordinator 50

51 8. Herbarium of Vascular Plants Collection 51

52 a) Description The Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium (known as KHD in the Index Herbariorum) contains over 43,000 voucher specimens of dried and pressed vascular plants. b) Collections Content While the herbarium contains species from around the world, KHD is primarily a regional herbarium with a geographic emphasis on plant species from Colorado and the Southern Rocky Mountain Region. Voucher specimens from neighboring states within the western Great Plains and Colorado Plateau are also represented. The Herbarium also houses specimens of cultivated plants, collected primarily from the Gardens, including a water lily standard. Regional herbarium with good representation of the native and naturalized flora of Colorado, especially the Colorado Front Range, adjacent mountains and prairie. Representation from other western states (especially Utah and Arizona), eastern states and Europe. Collection consists primarily of vascular plants: fern and fern allies, gymnosperms and angiosperms. Small holding of lichens (151 specimens) and mosses (166 specimens). Cultivated plant collection including an extensive collection of tropical plants from the tropical conservatory. Few isotypes (No type specimens). One horticultural standard. Reference collection of the Colorado native and naturalized flora. c) History of the Collection KHD was founded in 1943 by George Kelly and Kathryn Kalmbach as part of the Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association. It was moved to Denver Botanic Gardens in The first curator was Kathryn Kalmbach serving until her death in At that time Dr. Helen Marsh Zeiner became Chairman of the Herbarium Committee. She was appointed Honorary Curator in 1971 and served in that position until 1995 when she became Herbarium Curator Emeritus. Dr. Janet L. Wingate became Herbarium Manager in 1995 (first paid herbarium position) and became Curator in In 2007, Dr. Wingate retired and became Herbarium Associate. Dina Clark became curator at that time. KHD was essentially built by volunteers and they continue to play a very important role in its development. d) Justification Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium collections support the Gardens mission and its programs in conservation, education, horticulture and research primarily through the representative collection of the vascular plants of Colorado and the southern Rocky Mountains. KHD promotes the mission of the Gardens by increasing, preserving and making available knowledge of native, naturalized and cultivated plants. More importantly, the herbarium provides a library of specimens that are used to further our knowledge about the Plant Kingdom that can be used today and long into the future. 52

53 A wide range of audiences use the herbarium including: Denver Botanic Gardens staff, membership and the general public Denver Botanic Gardens Education department. Tours, floristic and botanical classes, botanical illustration. Researchers Biologists, ecologists. Amateur botanists Schools and Universities Students Botanical illustrators County, state and federal agencies (Forest Service, BLM, county agents, open space departments, extension agencies) Environmental and botanical consulting firms Plant societies Nurseries, plant growers, horticulturists, landscape architects Rocky Mountain Poison Center regarding plant poisoning e) Strengths Scientifically valuable because specimens are well preserved and well documented. Good regional representation of the Colorado flora especially of the Colorado Front Range, metropolitan area and adjacent plains with 76.5% of the Colorado flora represented. Strong collections of species within the Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Orchidaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae Representative collections of ferns Representative collection of local invasive plants. One of the few regional herbaria with a good collection of cultivated plants. Reference collection of the Colorado flora provides for easy study and identification. Collections of historical interest. User friendly arrangement, all alphabetical according to family and species. Usually open 5 days per week. Perfect climate for preserved plants, dry and cool. We have no insect problems. Convenient resource for the Denver Metropolitan public. Helpful staff and volunteers. The Colorado collection is databased. f) Weaknesses Only 45% of the Colorado flora is well represented by 3 or more specimens with incomplete representation from southern Colorado, West Slope and eastern plains. Current database system is not the most effective system for efficient data entry and retrieval. Only a very small percentage of the out of state collection is databased. An estimate of 50% of the cultivated collection is databased. Understaffed; curator is only part-time, and work is primarily done by volunteers. Many older specimens are mounted on high acid paper. 53

54 g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Accessions: Continue to add accessions to the herbarium through field projects and collect from poorly documented areas of Colorado. Continue to add collections through cooperative research projects with agencies, organizations and universities Continue exchange program with other herbaria. Continue to build cultivated collection from DBG living collection Continue to add to the Colorado Reference Collection. Deaccessions: Deaccession poor specimens (poor documentation or damaged specimens). Databasing: Database in this order: Colorado specimens, cultivated specimens, out of state specimens. Growth: Growth should continue by about 1,000 specimens per year with emphasis on the following: Enhancement of the Colorado collection with at least 3 specimens per species. Other species within the Southern Rocky Mountain Region and adjacent states. Cultivated plants. Continue to build educational Colorado reference collection. h) Implementation Strategy The major goal for this collection is to have an enhanced and near-complete collection of the Colorado flora and an increased number of specimens from the Southern Rocky Mountain Region and adjacent states. Further, a strong representation of cultivated plant species is also important. Through active collection and field projects, the collection can be increased in size and representation. Additionally, the collection can grow in size and representation through exchange with other herbaria and by donations from private parties and volunteers. Databasing all the collections, and deaccessioning poor quality specimens are also important priorities Timeline: Activity Expand Colorado collection Enhance the collection from the Southern Rocky Mountain 54

55 Region and neighboring states Enhance the cultivated collection Database the entire collection Deaccession poor quality specimens i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Research and the Curator responsible for the Herbarium of Vascular Plants collections. Activity Expand the Colorado collection Enhance the collection from the Southern Rocky Mountain Region and neighboring states Enhance the cultivated collection Database the entire collection Deaccession poor quality specimens Evaluation Procedure Nearly all Colorado species in collection represented with at least 3 specimens Increased number of specimens Increased number of specimens All specimens in the collections databased Analysis of the collection and removal of poor quality specimens. Evaluation Time End of each year End of each year End of each year End of each year End of each year Person Responsible Curator Curator Curator Curator, Manager of Plant Records Curator, Manager of Plant Records 55

56 9. Herbarium of Fungi Collection 56

57 a) Description The Denver Botanic Gardens Herbarium of Fungi has accessed 22,000 fungal specimens in its 43 years of existence. As of this date the herbarium houses approximately 14,000 well-preserved and documented Colorado specimens. b) Collections Content The Herbarium of Fungi houses approximately 22,000 preserved and documented specimens of native fungi, the result of collecting for more than 40 years in many ecosystems in the Rocky Mountain region, ranging from the prairie grasslands up to the tundra. The Herbarium is one of the most complete, diverse and well-documented collection of fleshy fungi and myxomycetes in the Rocky Mountain region. The specimens include Basidiomycetes with emphases on the Agaricales, Boletales, Gasteromycetes and the Aphyllophorales. A sizeable and diverse collection of Ascomycetes with emphasis on the Discomycetes is represented. A large and representative collection of Myxomycetes of the region is also present. Fresh notes and photographs complement most collections. A large percentage of the collection is on a searchable database. To qualify as an international herbarium suitable for use worldwide, the Herbarium of Fungi has been formally registered with the Index Herbariorum; its designation is recognized by the acronym DBG. The Herbarium of Fungi consists of: 86 families of Basidiomycetes, including mycorrrhizal fungi, hypogeous fungi, and an extensive collection of gasteromycetes; 34 families of Ascomycetes, including truffles and an extensive and remarkable collection of discomycetes; 10 families of Myxomycetes. The total number of genera represented in our herbarium is currently 384, representing approximately 2560 different taxa (genus plus species and/or variety). Most of these taxa have multiple specimens, an important feature of a research-based fungal herbarium accessible to all research scientists. Besides documenting a range of phenotypes for taxonomic comparisons, this effort allows us to record the frequency, geographical range and varying times of fruiting of our fungal collections at all ages and stages. Multiple specimens collected over the decades will help to document mutually beneficial relationships between fungi and plants, as well as the effect of climate changes and changing ecosystems in the future. A great percentage of our specimens are documented with photographs taken when they were fresh (essential to document colors and fine details that change upon drying). To accompany our collection we have over 8,450 labeled photographs in the form of slides and prints along with several hundred digital photos. In our fungal herbarium we treasure 18 type collections (the unique collection from which the original published description of that taxon was made and housed nowhere else in the world). They are the result of our decades of scientific research and 57

58 publications on the mycoflora of the region. c) History of the Collection The Herbarium of Fungi was founded in l965 by Dr. D. H. Sam Mitchel, a Denver internist and poisonous mushroom expert. Until 1990 it was an all-volunteer staff who together made thousands of collections, documented and photographed them, and carried out important research projects culminating in the publishing of dozens of scientific peer-reviewed articles and books. In l990 a part-time curator was hired to continue the work. d) Justification The Herbarium of Fungi ( Mycology ) supports Denver Botanic Gardens mission and its programs in conservation, education, horticulture and research primarily through the survey, collection, and specimen preservation of Rocky Mountain fungi, which documents the diversity of the mycoflora of the region and its relationship with native plants. Our most important audiences are the Denver Botanic Gardens staff and membership and the general public who seek out information on mushrooms and their relationship to plants in all seasons. We provide support for our Denver Botanic Gardens Education department, teaching classes, giving tours, providing information and specimens for the Botanical Illustration classes (among other services). We consult with and identify mushrooms for amateur mushroom enthusiasts all around the region including hundreds of contacts yearly with members of the Colorado Mycological Society and the Native Plant Society. Mycological professionals, U. S. and world-wide, use our collection as a resource for floristic studies, taxonomic and ecological studies, and DNA sequencing work; their visits to our laboratory add stature to our herbarium and result in collaborative research for our scientific publications. Local businesses including industrial hygienists and nursery schools consult with us regarding potential poisonous mushrooms growing locally. Rocky Mountain Poison Center in cooperation with the Colorado Mycological Society consults with us regarding mushroom poisonings reported from a 9-state region. Local emergency room hospital physicians and veterinarians use our herbarium and staff for information and identification of possibly poisonous mushrooms ingested by people and pets alike. Land managers (local, state, national parks, national forests and the Bureau of Land Management) seek information on the fungi growing in varied ecosystems throughout the area and make use of our data-base and specimens for their inventories. Local law enforcement as well as the Colorado Bureau of Investigation occasionally contact us regarding the use of illegal mushrooms by members of the public. We conduct tours of the herbarium of fungi for local schools and universities. 58

59 In addition to connecting people with plants our fungal herbarium and its outreach strive to connect fungi to plants, since both plants and fungi have evolved together and are inter-dependent upon each other. e) Strengths The Herbarium of Fungi is considered to be one of the most diverse and complete collections of mushrooms and other fungi located in the Rocky Mountain region (including universities). A magnet for researchers and land managers looking for information on regional mycoflora. Because of its location, a valuable resource for the public. Scientifically valuable, well organized and documented specimens of higher fungi are preserved in an ideal climate for fungal specimens (because of our arid climate and relative freedom from insect pests). Entire collection is properly preserved, safely archived and databased. Each specimen is backed up by a 5x8 inch data card with macro and micro data recorded. A large percentage of the specimens are represented by a color photo of the mushroom in its fresh state. A user-friendly arrangement of specimens is organized by fungal orders and then alphabetically by genera. f) Weaknesses Some Colorado ecosystems are undercollected especially the southwestern mountains, Gambel oak, pinyon pine and grassland ecosystems. Scientific and public audience publications are strong, but limited in number. Current system of databasing was designed for living collections and is cumbersome and inefficient for entering preserved specimen data. Data retrieval is difficult and sometimes nearly impossible. g) Opportunities and Collection Priorities Investigate native fungal/plant relationships by collecting fungi in unusual Rocky Mountain habitats such as: alpine regions, Gambel Oak habitats, and some undercollected habitats such as dunes, fens, calcareous soils, forest burns, as well as prairies and grasslands More intensive collecting in native habitats located in southern and western Colorado (under-collected areas). Serve as a regional repository for mushrooms retrieved from actual mushroom poisonings (referrals from the Rocky Mountain Poison Center in collaboration with the Colorado Mycological Society). h) Implementation Strategy The focus of this collection will be to continue adding accessions of fungi native to the region, particularly mycorrhizal fungi, in order to demonstrate and voucher those fungi that are important to our region. Other priorities will be to garner increased 59

60 public interest for this collection by publishing more research papers and articles in popular magazines and books and to complete electronic databasing of the collection. Timeline: Activity Increase collection content Increased publicity through publications Complete electronic databasing i) Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Research and the Curator responsible for the Herbarium of Fungi collections. Activity Increase collection content Increased publicity through publications Complete electronic databasing Evaluation Procedure Approximately 400 specimens added each year Number of articles published All specimens in the collections databased Evaluation Time End of each year End of each year End of each year Person Responsible Curator Curator Curator 60

61 10. Library Collection 61

62 SPECIAL COLLECTIONS a. Description / Collection Content The Library s Special Collections include the Waring Rare Book Collection, glass slides, botanical stamps, and institutional archives. There are 736 cataloged titles in the Waring Rare Book Collection. b. History The Library s collections were augmented significantly by the collections of rare botanical books donated by Dr. James P. Waring and John P. Mitchell. c. Justification The Library s Special Collections create the opportunity to increase public awareness and audience development through scholarly research, publication, exhibition and display. In addition, many works offer a primary source for scholars and other researchers. In general, these collections provide another avenue to connect people with plants at Denver Botanic Gardens. d. Strengths The Waring Rare Book Collection contains seminal works in the history of botany. The Rare Book Collection was formally catalogued in 2007 and a subsequent insurance value appraisal was completed in Poised to share information in electronic format. e. Weaknesses The Waring Rare Book Collection lacks environmental sensors, controls and upgrades to current standards; enough shelving and/or cabinets to house rare works; workspace appropriate for using the collection; and funds for repair of damaged items. These concerns need to be in the forefront when Phase IV of the Master Development Plan is funded and a new Library is designed and built. None of the Waring rare books has been treated for condition needs per the recommendations made in 1996 by Laura Waits, conservator. In recent years the Library and Art Collections were treated as one entity, creating difficulty in managing both with one set of aims. There is no space for storage or growth, other than by weeding the collection. There is no fire suppression in place for any of the Library collections. Library staff needs training in disaster recovery and collections care. f. Opportunities and Priorities Separate art items from Library Special Collections to facilitate better management. Complete a new collections assessment. Determine areas of focus for collecting. Utilize recent digitization feasibility study (Robb, 2008) to determine next steps for institutionally-coordinated digitization project. Address condition of Waring rare books according to professional recommendations and results of appraisal. Identify new revenue and/or fundraising sources. 62

63 Train staff on appropriate emergency response measures. Train staff on care of both the main and Waring Rare Book collections. g. Implementation Strategies Timeline: Activity Separate art from Library Special Collections Complete a new collections assessment Research object history, including donor information Determine areas of focus for collecting Develop Library Collections Procedures Manual Promote the Collection to local, regional and national communities Survey peers and/or museums re: rare book holdings Address condition of Waring rare books Determine next steps digitization project Identify needs for new facility Work with architects and other stakeholders to create vision for new facility Plan for move and storage Plan for display space Transition to new facility Identify new sources of support Train staff on emergency response 63

64 Train staff on collections care Implement a digitization program h. Evaluation Activity Separate art from Library Special Collections Complete a new collections assessment Research object history, including donor information Determine areas of focus for collecting Develop Library Collections Procedures Manual Promote the Collection to local, regional and national communities Survey peers and/or museums re: rare book holdings Address condition of Waring rare books Determine next steps digitization project Identify needs for new facility Evaluation Procedure/Success Indicator Library holdings are distinct & relevant Complete catalogue of items and related needs Evaluation Time Person Responsible Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions Interns/Volunteers by end of 2009 Head Librarian Librarians Manager of Exhibitions Interns/Volunteers Object files created by end of 2009 Head Librarian Librarians Manager of Exhibitions Exhibits Admin. Asst. Interns/Volunteers At least three core areas identified Manual with supporting forms in place & utilized Greater awareness of holdings; increased inquiries into resources Awareness & quantification of overlap or dissimilarity among like institutions Project plan in place to conserve, preserve or restore; funding sought Project plan in place to integrate efforts with herbaria, & Art Collection Identify best practices for type of facility, by end of 2009 by end of 2009 Annually Head Librarian Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian 1 st quarter, 2010 Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions By end of 2009, then annually By end of 2009 Ongoing until groundbreaking Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian Other stakeholders Head Librarian 64

65 Work with architects and other stakeholders to create vision for new facility Plan for move and storage Plan for display space Identify new sources of support Train staff on emergency response Train staff on collections care Implement a digitization program including storage, transport, display & patron space Plans created Key challenges identified; plans for transport, handling & storage in place Nature of a rare books display space outlined; exhibits or core ideas identified Specific funders and related timelines identified; coordinated with Development Training session hosted; practical application of Disaster Plan understood In-house session hosted; professional development sought Collections available in digital format; plan in place for continued support of Library- Herbaria-Art Building By 2012 or ground breaking of new building; whichever first By end of 2011 Ongoing until 2012 Ongoing Annually Ongoing By end of 2011 Other stakeholders Head Librarian Other stakeholders Head Librarian Other stakeholders Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian Development Staff Director of Operations Manager of Operations Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian Other stakeholders MAIN COLLECTION a. Description The main Library Collection is composed of books for adults and children, DVDs, videos, CDs, current and retrospective periodicals, nursery catalogs, slides and pamphlets. The collection covers horticulture, gardens and gardening, landscaping, agriculture, world flora, botanical art and illustration, flower arrangement, history of botany and botanical gardens, medical botany, ethnobotany, insects, plant pests and diseases, plant lore and nature crafts. b. Collection Content In May 2008, the counts of cataloged items (by collection type) in the main collection numbered: audio-video-dvd, 277; book (including juvenile), 21,222; reference, 196; periodical (titles only, not all the issues), 261; CDs, 13; and pamphlet, 220. Estimates of uncataloged main collections are: nursery catalogs, 2000; slides, The approximate count of items totals 28,

66 In addition, the Library uses but has not yet cataloged such electronic resources as the Gardens' own BG Map and BG Base, plants.usda.gov, the AGRICOLA database, the EBSCO Garden Literature database (a subscription purchase), the Anderson Horticultural Library database and many, many more. The Library's links page offers the following categories: Water-Smart Gardening, Gardening and Horticulture, Local and Regional Gardens, National Gardens and Arboreta, Plant Images, Plant Information/Identification and Plant Societies. c. History Helen Fowler Library was founded in 1948 from the 500-title personal collection of Helen K. Fowler, who, with her husband, was a landscape gardener and owner of Shadow Valley Gardens, a large nursery in Wheat Ridge (Green Thumb News, 18:1 [1961], p. 12). The original Library was part of the Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association. Its first paid professional librarian was Solange Gignac, who was senior librarian from The used book sale from 1972 to 2002 helped in the growth of the library collections. At its 2005 Strategic Planning meeting, the Library adopted as its mission statement: "to be a widely recognized resource in the Colorado community; to be considered the first, primary place for botanical resources in the Western U.S./Rocky Mountain region; and to be a leading library for serious research on horticulture in the Rocky Mountain region." d. Justification Helen Fowler Library staff and the main collection exist to provide information and current resources for a large and diverse audience as well as advice, motivation and current awareness about regional gardening events and programs. In so doing it connects people with plants. Another key component of the Library's outreach is interlibrary loans to and from North American libraries, which gives scholars access to its titles that, in many cases, are held by just a handful of botanical libraries and archives. Through its year-round Gardening Help program with Colorado Master Gardeners, the Library answers plant questions from individuals in person, via phone and by . The Library s role is both programmatic (content aligned with the mission of the Gardens) and functional (open for business and serving patrons/visitors 6 days a week. Helen Fowler Library serves a diverse audience: staff, members, volunteers and the general public. The general public is a broad term encompassing individual visitors as well as a large number of plant societies, affiliates, students (of the Gardens Education Department, local community colleges and other area academic institutions), K-12 Colorado teachers, government researchers, members of the Colorado green industry and, via active inter-library loans, North American libraries and their patrons. This diverse patron base requires information at several different levels: from highly scientific research to applied horticulture to beginning-level gardening. Such a diverse audience is unusual for a special/botanical library; however, it is consistent with the audience proposed at the time of its founding: "The Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association Library shall have for its aim the selection of every book for the use of not only 66

67 botanists and horticulturalists, but for lovers of garden, field and wood; the most valuable authoritative information on every garden subject with the distribution of subjects in groups, and a good beginning list of both technical and non-technical editions to meet the need of the greatest number of users." (Ibid.) e. Strengths The main collection of world flora and the periodicals collection have surprised knowledgeable visitors. These are arguably world-class collections that reflect strong funding in its seminal years and well-focused acquisitions from the very beginning. The Library also holds some 2000 nursery and seed catalogs, some dating to the late 19 th century, that occupy 120 linear shelf feet. This unarchived, uncataloged collection was displayed for the first time in It was the subject of a recent (May 2008) query from New York Botanic Garden. Because of its ephemeral and historic qualities, it may be a strong candidate for a pilot digitization project. The Library s dedicated volunteers provide a wealth of expertise and experience, including that of botanic garden archivist to retired librarian. f. Weaknesses Funding lost with the demise in 2001 of the annual Used Book Sale, which raised some $20,000 in peak years, has never been recovered. As a result, the main collection has grown reactively, mainly in response to staff requests, rather than by design. There is no space for storage or growth, other than by weeding the collection. There is no fire suppression in place for any of the Library collections. Library staff needs training in disaster recovery and collections care. Gardening Help volunteers reinvent the wheel each year as seasonal gardening questions are answered. At a moderate increase in cost, the Library might add a module to its EOS catalog that will capture that information and make it searchable on a permanent basis. g. Opportunities and Priorities Identify new revenue and/or fundraising sources. Promote and market the library. As part of a comprehensive acquisition plan, survey the world flora of the collection to identify missing volumes, since this is the segment of our collection that is most critical to staff users. Train staff on appropriate emergency response measures. Train staff on care of both the main and Waring Rare Book collections. Plan and implement a digitization program. Capture the information disseminated by Gardening Help volunteers in EOS. Organize and make usable several non-circulating collections (nursery catalogs, slides); the specific impetus for these activities might be digitization, with nursery catalogs as a prime candidate. Electronic inter-library loan [of periodicals] possible with investment in new technology (high-speed scanner). 67

68 h. Implementation Strategies Items will be prioritized according to institutional goals. Timeline: Activity Promote the Library Survey world flora holdings to determine needs Determine areas of focus for Collection Investigate technology & costs for high-speed scanner Catalogue previously uncatalogued items Identify funding sources Develop Library Collections Manual Train staff on emergency response Train staff on collections care Plan and implement a digitization program Update Library website to resemble main DBG site Add EOS Reference Tracker module i. Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Exhibitions and the Head Librarian. Activity Promote the Library Evaluation Procedure/Success Indicator Greater awareness of holdings; increased inquiries into resources Evaluation Time Annually Person Responsible Head Librarian 68

69 Survey world flora holdings to determine acquisition needs Determine areas of focus for Collection Investigate technology & costs for high-speed scanner Catalogue previously uncatalogued items Identify funding sources Develop Library Collections Manual Train staff on emergency response Train staff on collections care Plan and implement a digitization program Update Library website to resemble main DBG site; increase usability Add EOS Reference Tracker module Key gaps in holding identified to strengthen world flora collection At least three core areas identified Options researched prior to 2009 budget development; money allocated for 2009 program launch By end of 2009, then annually by end of 2009 by end of 2009 Head Librarian Library staff Volunteers/Interns Head Librarian Head Librarian DBG Technology Team Ongoing priority 2009 Head Librarian Library staff Ongoing priority Head Librarian Development Staff Completion 2009 Head Librarian Training session hosted; practical application of Disaster Plan understood In-house session hosted; professional development sought Project plan in place to integrate efforts with herbaria, rare books & Art Collection In-house analysis done in 08; revisions scheduled for 2009 Attend demonstration of Reference Tracker prior to 2009 budget development; money allocated for 2009 program launch Annually Ongoing By end of 2009 by end of 2009 by end of 2009 Manager of Exhibitions Director of Operations Manager of Operations Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian Other stakeholders Head Librarian Web Technology Mngr Head Librarian Library staff 69

70 11. Art Collection 70

71 a. Description The art collection at Denver Botanic Gardens is diverse and generally reflects previous Board and donor interest. b. Collection Content In the art collection are works on paper, including paintings, prints, and drawings, as well as sculpture, suisekis, glass stereoscopic slides and other objects. c. History Much of the history of the Art Collection proper has yet to be determined. This will occur during the formal collection assessment. For many years, the Art Collection has had a shared history with the Helen Fowler Library. d. Justification The art collection affords the opportunity to increase public awareness and audience development through exhibition and display. In addition, many works offer a primary source for scholars and other researchers. In general, art provides another avenue to connect people with plants at Denver Botanic Gardens. e. Strengths The Gardens art collection is especially strong in the area of prints. Much work has been done in recent years to organize the collection within the Waring Rare Book room. Within the Gardens approved Master Development Plan, a new facility will include space for a new Library (including rare book room), a gallery and storage area, as well as for the herbaria. f. Weaknesses A formal accession process, complete with appropriate registration procedures and records, has never been created or maintained. A complete physical inventory is overdue. Awareness and complete understanding of the art collection among internal and external communities is low. Documentation on gifts needs to be further researched. Storage space and environmental controls are inadequate. g. Opportunities and Priorities The Gardens has the opportunity to completely know what s in its holdings to better share information with the general public as well as with members, donors, and researchers. Priorities include: Physical inventory & reconciliation Solicit help with cataloguing museum studies intern and/or volunteer Research funding sources for collections activity; apply for financial assistance Develop Art Collections Procedures Manual Create object files 71

72 Create artist files Condition reporting on each object Research object history, including donor information Determine items for formal accessioning Institute formal cataloguing process, including the assignment of accession numbers Identify appropriate collections database software; consider online collections/exhibitions Determine areas of focus for collecting Promote the Art Collection to local, regional and national communities Identify needs for new facility Work with architects and other stakeholders to create vision for new facility Plan for move and storage Plan for exhibition space h. Implementation Strategies Much analysis on the current Art Collection is necessary to embark on the tasks related to the Collection Plan. Timeline: Activity Physical inventory & reconciliation Conduct Collections Assessment Solicit help with cataloguing museum studies intern and/or volunteer Research funding sources for collections activity; apply for financial assistance Develop Art Collections Procedures Manual Create object files Create artist files Condition reporting on each object Research object history, including donor information Determine items for formal accessioning 72

73 Institute formal cataloguing process, including the assignment of accession numbers Identify appropriate collections database software; consider online collections/exhibitions Determine areas of focus for collecting Promote the Art Collection to local, regional and national communities Identify needs for new facility Work with architects and other stakeholders to create vision for new facility Plan for move and storage Plan for exhibition space Survey peers and/or museums re: art/print holdings Develop concept for one or more traveling exhibit of objects from permanent collection based on survey Secure at lease one venue to host exhibition i. Evaluation The overall implementation and evaluation of the collections plan will be overseen by the Director of Exhibitions and the Manager of Exhibitions. 73

74 Activity Physical inventory & reconciliation Evaluation Procedure/Success Indicator Evaluation Time Person Responsible Assessment completed Annual Manager of Exhibitions Solicit help with cataloguing museum studies intern and/or volunteer Research funding sources for collections activity; apply for financial assistance Develop Art Collections Procedures Manual Create object files Create artist files Condition reporting on each object Research object history, including donor information Determine items for formal accessioning Institute formal cataloguing process, including the assignment of accession numbers Identify appropriate collections database software; consider online collections/exhibitions Intern or long-term volunteer identified & trained Grantors identified; applications submitted Baseline document and related forms created Individual files begun for objects Individual files begun for artist information Progress made on condition reports conducted; conducted in a timely manner Progress made on object history; conducted in a timely manner Certain items labeled as study collection or simply and owned object Art Collection Procedures Manual developed; accession numbers assigned Research conducted; involvement of tech dept and/or team strong; goals determined with other DBG Departments Fall 08 Spring 09 Summer 09 Every six months End of 2009 Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions Grant Writer Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions 1 st quarter 2009 Manager of Exhibitions Exhibits Admin. Asst. Intern / volunteer 1 st quarter 2009 Manager of Exhibitions Exhibits Admin. Asst. Progress evaluated every six months until baseline met Progress evaluated every six months until baseline met By end of 2009 By end of 2009 By end of 2010 Intern / volunteer Manager of Exhibitions Intern / volunteer Manager of Exhibitions Exhibits Admin. Asst. Intern / volunteer Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions Other stakeholders 74

75 Determine areas of focus for collecting Promote the Art Collection to local, regional and national communities Identify needs for new facility Work with architects and other stakeholders to create vision for new facility Plan for move and storage Plan for exhibition space Survey peers and/or museums re: art/print holdings After collections assessment, core areas for collecting identified Greater awareness of DBG holdings; contacts made with other institutions Identify best practices for type of facility, including storage, transport, & exhibition space Plans created Key challenges identified; plan for transport, handling & storage in place Nature of the exhibition space outlined; exhibits or core ideas identified Letter of inquiry sent to at least 20 institutions By end of 2009 Evaluated annually Ongoing until groundbreaking of Library- Herbaria-Art Building By 2012 or ground breaking of new building; whichever first By end of 2011 Ongoing until 2012 By end of 2011 Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian RHR staff CEO Board of Trustees Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions Head Librarian Develop concept for one or more traveling exhibit of objects from permanent collection based on survey Secure at least one venue to host exhibition Concept theme identified and related checklist of collection objects created. Intent from venue; possible down payment, if applicable By end of 2012 By end of 2013 Manager of Exhibitions Manager of Exhibitions 75

76 Appendix 1 Garden Map 76

77 77