NTBG’s 2019 Annual Report is now available. The concise report presents an overview of NTBG’s programs, recent achievements, and key financial data for 2019.

Find full listings of NTBG’s Board of Trustees, Council of Fellows, Donors, and learn how you can make a difference in supporting our mission.

Download the full report here.

The National Tropical Botanical Garden has been featured on the Youtube Series ‘Plants are Cool Too’.

Take a trip to Kaua’i, the Garden Island of Hawai’i, for a behind the scenes look at how the National Tropical Botanical Garden is leading the charge to save rare plants and protect tropical biodiversity. This episode of “Plants are Cool, Too!” features some key players in the NTBG’s plant conservation

Article published in “forKauai” Magazine.
“The National Tropical Botanical Garden has reopened its Kaua‘i’s gardens to the public, after being closed since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening is bringing a few changes designed to draw more local residents to the gardens while keeping them safe. These changes include new attractions and a significant reduction in membership fees.”

Read the full article here: https://www.forkauaionline.com/ntbg-is-back/

June 30, 2020

NTBG is a global resource for tropical plant knowledge. The expertise of our dedicated staff spans identifying, documenting, understanding, and conserving the rich diversity of plants and their habitats in the tropics, with particular emphasis on the plants of Hawai’i and the greater Pacific region. To stay informed of NTBG scientific research and conservation news read the research review online, join our mailing list, or become a member.

1. Evolution and classification of figs (Ficus) and their close relatives (Castilleae) united by involucral bracts

Clement WL, Bruun-Lund S, Cohen A, Kjellberg F, Weiblen GD, Rønsted N* (2020). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, boaa022.

Figs and fig wasps are a classic example of an obligate pollination mutualism. With > 800 species, figs (Ficus, Moraceae) are among some of the larger genera of flowering plants while their closest relatives in the Castilleae have much fewer species. However, despite decades of work, we still don’t understand the evolution of the pollination mutualism well.

NTBGs Nina Rønsted and collaborators provide an overview of their classification based on evolutionary relationships and advocate taking a closer look at little known pollination systems in Castilleae to find answers.

2. Applying the zoo model to conservation of threatened exceptional plant species

Jordan Wood, Jonathan D. Ballou, Taylor Callicrate, Jeremie B. Fant, M. Patrick Griffith, Andrea T. Kramer, Robert C. Lacy, Abby Meyer, Sara Sullivan, Kathy Traylor‐Holzer, Seana K. Walsh, Kayri Havens (2020) Conservation Biology.

A paper co-authored by NTBG Conservation Biologist, Seana Walsh, was just published in the journal Conservation Biology. The paper titled ‘Applying the zoo model to conservation of threatened exceptional plant species’ demonstrates to botanic gardens how using zoo‐style studbooks and pedigree management will be transformative for the conservation of exceptional plant species like Brighamia insignia. Read the full paper here.

3. Pacifigeron indivisus (Asteraceae: Astereae), a new species endemic to Rapa, Austral Islands, and a new delimitation of the Celmisia group

Saldivia, P., Wood, K.R., Orlovich, D.A., Lord, J.M. (2020). Phytotaxa.

In autumn of 2002, a botanical expedition to Rapa (Austral Islands, French Polynesia) was carried out by the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG), along with the Délégation à la Recherche (Polynésie Française) and the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG).

During the expedition, several new species were discovered including a new member of the extraordinary Rapan endemic genus Pacifigeron (Asteraceae). Recently, staff at the University of Otago (New Zealand) and the NTBG published the description of Pacifigeron indivisus in the prestigious journal Phytotaxa and included a summary on its distribution and abundance, along with the results of a molecular study clarifying its relationship to other members of the Asteraceae.

This publication follows several other new species descriptions discovered during NTBG’s 2002 Rapan Expedition, including a new species of Melicope (Appelhans et al. 2014), a new species of Bidens (Funk & Wood 2014), in addition to a molecular phylogenetic study on the rediscovered endemic Rapan genus Apostates (Baldwin & Wood 2016).

4. Updates from the collaboration between NTBG and the International Center for Tropical Botany at the Kampong

In collaboration with Florida International University, NTBG has established the International Center for Tropical Botany at the Kampong (ICTB) as a center of excellence for research and education in tropical botany.

The building of the new research headquarters for the ICTB at the Kampong is scheduled to begin in August 2020 with anticipated completion in Fall 2021.

Four new faculty members have been hired by FIU to work with the ICTB:

• Dr. Adam Roddy specializing in flower morphology and function
• Dr. Oscar Valverde-Barrantes working with root morphology and function 
• Dr. Anna Simonsen with expertise in plant microbe-interactions
• Dr. Clinton Jenkins focusing on biodiversity conservation analysis and planning.

In addition, FIU will be funding a postdoctoral fellow to be co-mentored by Dr. Baraloto and Dr. Rønsted. Following up on a successful joint workshop between in NTBG and ICTB in Miami in this past February, four joint research themes were prioritized focused on:

• Scalability of high-diversity food security systems in Hawai’i and the Caribbean 
• Comparative ecosystem services of coastal forests in the Pacific and Caribbean
• Why some plants are rare and others common
• Plant chemical defenses in island systems.

Multiple collaborative research questions, publications, and funding applications are in progress with seed money from the William R. Kenan Charitable Trust.

 June 11, 2020 (Kalaheo, Kauai)

National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) will reopen its Kauai gardens in the coming weeks. NTBG’s Limahuli Garden on the north shore will welcome the community for self-guided tours beginning Tuesday, June 16, while both NTBG’s Allerton Garden and McBryde Garden on the south shore will resume operations Wednesday, July 1 for self-guided tours (McBryde Garden) and a limited number of guided tours (Allerton Garden). All tours require a reservation. 

The Gardens will reopen under a carefully formulated plan designed to prioritize the safety, health, and comfort of all garden visitors, staff, and volunteers. This plan strictly follows recommendations and guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local authorities including the required use of face coverings and social distancing measures. Visitor numbers will be reduced and timed entries will be carefully regulated to avoid crowding. 

During this time, garden admission fees have been modified in order to accommodate every member of the community. As a way to thank everyone on Kauai for their support, self-guided admission for Hawaii residents will be complimentary June 16 – June 30 for Limahuli Garden, followed by July 1 – July 11 for McBryde Garden. 

Membership specials of 50% off for Hawaii residents are also offered for a limited time through July 31. Starting at $35, membership provides for one year of complimentary self-guided tours at all gardens, as well as a variety of additional member benefits, all while helping support NTBG and its mission of saving plants and saving people. 

“Gardens are indispensable as a place of healing, offering a much-needed space for respite and connection with nature. As NTBG reopens and welcomes our community back, we are here to offer a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience in a tranquil outdoor setting. We sincerely look forward to sharing the gardens with new and repeat visitors,” said Janet Mayfield, NTBG’s CEO and Director. 

To make a reservation, visit www.ntbg.org or call (808) 742-2623 for McBryde Garden and Allerton Garden, or (808) 826-1053 for Limahuli Garden. 

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National Tropical Botanical Garden (www.ntbg.org) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawaii and Florida. The institution’s mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions. NTBG is supported primarily through donations and grants. 

Media contact: Email media@ntbg.org at NTBG Headquarters on Kauai. 

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On Thursday, May 28 at 8 p.m. (Hawaii Standard Time), NTBG President Chipper Wichman will appear on Insights on PBS Hawaii for a conversation about the future of tourism in Hawaii in the age of the coronavirus. Chipper will join a panel of local leaders and decision makers as they explore how best to manage and reform Hawaii’s largest industry at this critical juncture.

Watch the discussion live and send or call in your questions. More information at:
https://www.pbshawaii.org/insights-on-pbs-hawai%ca%bbi-whats-it-going-to-take-managing-tourism-in-hawai%ca%bbi/

Kalaheo, Hawaii (May 18, 2020) — Charles “Chipper” Wichman, Jr., President of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, has been named the 2020 recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s (AHS) Professional Award, which is given to a public garden administrator whose achievements throughout their career have cultivated widespread interest in horticulture.

The accolade is one of the Great American Gardeners Awards presented annually by the AHS to individuals, organizations, and businesses that represent the best in American gardening. Each of the recipients has contributed significantly to fields such as scientific research, garden communication, landscape design, youth gardening, and conservation.

A leading authority in the discovery and conservation of tropical plants, Wichman has spent more than 40 years with NTBG, growing from an intern and apprentice gardener in the mid-1970s into his executive leadership role in the early 2000s. Over the course of his career, Wichman has helped discover or rediscover more than a dozen previously unknown plant species; led a successful conservation initiative at Limahuli Valley before donating the land to NTBG; raised NTBG’s profile as an influential conservation, research, and education center; helped found the International Center for Tropical Botany at Florida International University; and secured Hawaii as the host location of the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress.

In 2018, Wichman was awarded The Garden Club of America’s Medal of Honor for outstanding service to horticulture. Fluent in Hawaiian and Hawaiian Pidgin English, Wichman routinely gives talks on tropical plant conservation.

Because of the pandemic, the 2020 Great American Gardeners Awards ceremony, originally scheduled for June 18, has been cancelled. Alternately, AHS will honor award winners with video acceptance speeches to be posted on its website and social media starting in late May. View Chipper Wichman’s statement here. Descriptions of each award and biographies of this year’s recipients can be found on the AHS 2020 Award Winners page.

The American Horticultural Society is a nonprofit organization committed to modeling, educating about, and advocating for earth-friendly and sustainable gardening practices. Founded in 1922, AHS’s mission is to share with all Americans the critical role of plants, gardens, and green spaces in creating healthy, livable communities and a sustainable planet.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (www.ntbg.org) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. The institution’s mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions. NTBG is supported primarily through donations, grants, and memberships.

NTBG Media contact: Jon Letman (jletman@ntbg.org) at NTBG Headquarters, Kalaheo, Hawaii

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A published study co-authored by NTBG Conservation Biologist, Seana Walsh, revealed different plant species, even ones that are closely related, require different collection strategies and many collections currently fall short of conservation targets, further highlighting the importance of botanical gardens and arboreta worldwide.

The study included 11 plant taxa among five genera, including Kauai’s two fragrant, white-flowered endemic Hibiscus taxa held in multiple collections, including NTBG’s Limahuli Garden and McBryde Garden.

Field work by NTBG staff and interns to collect samples of both Hibsicus taxa for the study was done from 2015 to 2017 and the molecular lab work for those taxa was done between 2017 and 2019 at Chicago Botanic Garden by colleagues including former NTBG intern, Susan Deans. Results for the two Hibiscus help inform optimal collection and curation sizes for organizations and institutions working together to conserve them, including NTBG. Between 38 and 58 wild individuals of H. waimeae subsp. waimeae and between 54 and 123 of H. waimeae subsp. hannerae are needed to capture nearly all of the genetic variation of the species.

NTBG’s participation in this project underscores the importance of collaboration across geographic distances and illustrates how research can help botanical gardens and arboreta work together to improve our collecting and curation strategies to protect rare plant species.

Read the full article: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.0102

Virtual Mother’s Day Bouquet

Can’t see your mom in person this Mother’s Day? Send her a virtual Mother’s Day bouquet courtesy of NTBG! Click on the links below to download and save the image. There’s 36 different options!

Want to give Mom something more on her special day? Give her the gift of NTBG

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Visit Virtually with NTBG Videos & Zoom Backgrounds

If you are working from home or spending more time in online video calls these days, add a little NTBG garden beauty to your background. Download an NTBG Zoom background today. Click on the links below to download and save the image. Then follow instructions on your preferred conference platform for installing the background image. NTBG Gardens are temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Please consider making a donation to support our critical plant-saving research and conservation.

Zoom Background Images

Allerton Garden
Kahanu Garden
The Kampong
Limahuli Garden & Preserve
McBryde Garden

Stay Connected

Follow NTBG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to stay connected during this time of social distancing. Take a peaceful journey through our gardens in Hawaii and Florida and learn more about plant conservation by watching this video.

Support Billie’s work with the Conservation and Horticulture Center by donating today!

Conservation and Horticulture Center

Brighamia insignis is just one of the thousands of native Hawaiian plant species propagated in our Conservation and Horticulture Center. NTBG staff and volunteers care for 150,000 – 300,000 plants at a time. The climate-controlled micropropagation lab and greenhouse facilities at the Conservation and Horticulture Center in the McBryde Garden currently produce over 10,000 plants per year. Many of these plants are used for habitat restoration projects throughout the tropics.