Botanical Conservation and Research
A female Encephalartos inopinus cone is pollinated by hand. This species is critically endangered and possibly extinct in the wild. Photo by Sean Lahmeyer. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Ark Program
Several groups of plants that have been signature elements of the public-facing gardens since Huntington’s day are now the focus of intense conservation interest. Currently 18 of the 25 core collections—which include cycads, succulents (including cacti), aroids, magnolias, and orchids—are part of The Huntington’s Ark Conservation Program, in which plants are both protected and, to the extent possible, propagated. Additionally, the Ark program encompasses an array of research and conservation initiatives that take place behind the scenes.
Established in the 1990s and initially focused on the desert collections, the Ark program now includes all rare, endangered, or uncommonly cultivated species in The Huntington’s living collections. It comprises five main strategies for protecting plant biodiversity: preservation, research, education, networking, and distribution.
A key Huntington goal is to share resources and expertise with diverse communities. Public programming, interpretive signage, and exhibitions inspire guests to learn more about plants that capture their interest in the gardens and conservatories. Behind the scenes, Huntington staff members routinely host professional development training sessions and publish protocols for laboratory techniques that support plant conservation efforts at facilities around the world. Additionally, The Huntington maintains active partnerships with conservation organizations that share similar goals. These include Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Center for Plant Conservation, the American Public Gardens Association, and the Global Genome Initiative for Gardens.
Conservation and Research Spotlights
This sign in the Desert Garden was designed to call attention to the problem of plant theft from botanic gardens and the wild. Photo by Linnea Stephan. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Illegal Plant Trafficking Coalition
Plant theft is an increasing global problem. The internet has fueled wild plant trafficking, connecting distant sellers with buyers from around the world. Expanded shipping networks contribute to plant trafficking, which often uses the same trade routes as weapons, narcotics, and human trafficking. Poachers sometimes take entire populations of plants from the wild, which can lead to extinction, impacting whole ecosystems. Consumers often unknowingly buy plants that have been taken from the wild, particularly when purchasing online.
The Huntington is part of an international working group to increase awareness of plant theft among consumers and in the nursery trade. The goals are to encourage consumers to be aware of the sources of plants they buy and encourage growers to stay informed about the supply chain of the plants they sell.
Micrographs of Magnolia macrophylla ashei shoot tips resume growth after cryogenic storage. Photo by Raquel Folgado. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Cryobiotechnology Labs
Cryobiotechnology tools provide a promising method for conserving living plant materials at extremely low temperatures, often in conjunction with in vitro plant tissue culture techniques. This innovative approach allows for the long-term preservation of seeds, embryos, plant tissues, pollen, and spores, effectively overcoming the challenges associated with traditional seed banking. By playing a vital role in biodiversity conservation, cryobiotechnology tools ensure the long-term viability of essential biological materials for future generations. The in vitro repositories (tissue-cultured plants under regular and slow growth conditions) allow short- and medium-term conservation of plants, and ensure they are available for distribution or reintroduction in the field. Additionally, The Huntington backs up the in vitro collection using cryopreservation, which allows safe, long-term conservation of plant biodiversity without the risk of genetic modifications.
Techniques developed at The Huntington, in collaboration with partners worldwide, have led to the creation of the first protocols for the cryopreservation of unique plants such as avocados, agaves, aloes, and magnolias. The Huntington not only preserves tissues from plants of special significance in its own in vitro repositories and cryobank, but also provides cryopreservation training for staff from other organizations.
Seed and Pollen Banks
A seed bank is a facility that preserves seeds from a variety of plants for conservation and research. The seeds are stored under specific conditions to maintain their viability for future use, such as in crop-breeding programs or for restoring plant populations. The Huntington seed bank stores both field-collected seed from wild plants and seed produced by species that are rare or uncommon in cultivation, while a pollen bank houses samples from globally at-risk plant groups. Species from the cactus, cycad, and orchid plant families make up most of the collection.
Herbarium
An herbarium is an archive of plant samples preserved for long-term study. Typically, the plant parts are dried and pressed, then mounted on paper. Other materials in the herbarium may include loose seeds, dried bulky fruits, algae, fungi, wood sections, pollen, microscope slides, silica-stored materials, DNA extractions, and fluid-preserved flowers and fruit. Herbarium collections may also include data sets, botanical illustrations, photographic slides, images, and maps. These specimens serve as documentation for research projects and resources for plant identification. With more than 10,000 specimens, The Huntington Botanical Gardens Herbarium is a robust archive of plants from around the world, with particular emphasis on Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Systematics Research Lab
Botanical gardens that include plants from around the world are an invaluable scientific resource. Systematics research is the understanding and documentation of biological diversity and the processes that produce it. In The Huntington’s molecular Systematics Research Lab, botanical staff members investigate the fundamental processes of plant evolution using innovative methods combined with traditional fieldwork. The lab’s current focuses include speciation, phylogeography, phylogenetics, and biogeography in the cycad genus Dioon.
Intern, Volunteer & Student Research
As a research and educational institution, The Huntington’s Systematics Research Lab welcomes the contributions of interns, volunteers, and students. Opportunities include a range of laboratory work, from performing basic molecular techniques such as DNA extraction to curating collections and pursuing research projects investigating molecular markers of sex in cycads.
Tissue culture is one propagation method used to produce selections for the International Succulent Introductions program. Photo by Sandy Masuo. | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
International Succulent Introductions
International Succulent Introductions is a plant-distribution program that furthers The Huntington’s dedication to conservation and the scientific study of cacti and succulents. Its purpose is to propagate and distribute new or rare succulents to collectors, nurseries, and other botanical institutions. In keeping with sound conservation practices, field-collected plants are not sold; only propagated seedlings, tissue-cultured plants, grafts, and rooted cuttings produced under nursery conditions without detriment to wild populations are offered for sale.
