The United States Botanic Garden, in partnership with ArbNet, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US, The Morton Arboretum, and NatureServe, is pleased to announce the recipients of the Priority U.S. Trees Conservation Awards — an initiative designed to advance the conservation of at-risk U.S. tree species that are underrepresented in botanical collections.

Ten gardens and arboreta from eight states were selected to receive funding from the first two rounds of awards ranging from US$3,000 to US$5,000 to support the collection, propagation, and safeguarding of 18 priority tree species in botanical collections. Applications for a third round of Priority U.S. Trees Conservation Awards will open in early March, with proposals due April 15, 2026.

Support for the awards comes from the United States Botanic Garden, which collaborated with ArbNet, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US (BGCI-US), the Center for Species Survival: Trees at The Morton Arboretum and NatureServe to administer the program. 

This initiative to support on-the-ground conservation action for U.S. tree species started in 2019 when BGCI-US, NatureServe, The Morton Arboretum, the U.S. Botanic Garden and the U.S. Forest Service led a project to assess the threat status of the contiguous U.S. native tree species. This work led to the first comprehensive threat assessment of the 881 tree species native to the contiguous U.S. The findings highlighted the need to prioritize conservation efforts for U.S. tree species by establishing rare and threatened species in arboreta and botanic garden collections, providing a vital backup should populations in the wild decline or disappear. The Priority U.S. Tree Conservation Awards will leverage new and ongoing projects to bolster efforts to safeguard at-risk U.S. tree species now and into the future.

These awards will support the conservation of critically threatened tree species like Quercus cedrosensis, known to occur on only one mountain range in southern California, and charismatic species like Juniperus grandis, a conifer that occurs in the western U.S. and can grow as tall as 85 feet (26 meters). Many of these tree species are foundational to the ecosystems where they are found, providing numerous benefits to people and animals alike. 

“Surveying, collecting, and cultivating these at-risk trees today will not only safeguard the species, but will create a reserve of plants that can be used to help bolster populations in their ecosystems in the future,” said Dr. Susan K. Pell, executive director of the United States Botanic Garden. 

“We are thrilled to support the work of these awardees to help improve the conservation status  of at-risk U.S. tree species,” said Amy Byrne, manager of strategic partnerships for the Global Tree Conservation Program at The Morton Arboretum, which is leading administration of the awards. “These strategic on-the-ground efforts will help to ensure the future of trees for the benefit of nature and people.”

The awards are part of a broader strategy to bolster coordinated, science-driven conservation action for U.S. flora. 

Learn more about the Priority U.S. Trees Conservation Awards here. 

 

Priority U.S. Trees Conservation Award Recipients and Projects:

  • Atlanta Botanical Garden (Georgia)

    • Project: Conserving rare trees of wildlife and cultural value with key partners in three U.S. states
    • Target species: Asimina obovata, Crataegus aemula, Ilex cuthbertii

  • Denver Botanic Gardens (Colorado)

    • Project: Conserving Ostrya chisosensis
    • Target species: Ostrya chisosensis

  • Dunn Gardens (Washington)

    • Project: Conserving Crataegus okennonii
    • Target species: Crataegus okennonii

  • Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Florida)

    • Project: Safeguarding Mosiera longipes in South Florida: Seed Banking, Propagation and Plant Distribution
    • Target species: Mosiera longipes

  • Gardens of Golden Gate Park (California)

    • Project: Safeguarding the Pygmy Cypress (Hesperocyparis pygmaea): Conservation of an At-Risk Species through Public Garden Partnerships
    • Target species: Hesperocyparis pygmaea

  • Hoyt Arboretum - Portland Parks and Recreation (Oregon)

    • Project: Arctostaphylos nortensis, Hesperocyparis nevadensis, Juniperus grandis,, and Sophora leachiana collection grant 2025
    • Target species: Hesperocyparis nevadensis, Juniperus grandis, Arctostaphylos nortensis, Sophora leachiana

  • The Huntington (California)

    • Project: Conserving Aralia humilis and Mariosousa millefolium
    • Target species: Aralia humilis, Mariosousa millefolium

  • Missouri Botanical Garden (Missouri)

    • Project: Collecting and Conserving Priority Crataegus Species in Central Arkansas species
    • Target species: Crataegus ouachitensis, Crataegus padifolia

  • New Mexico BioPark Society (New Mexico)

    • Project: Rare Plant Conservation Seed Collections
    • Target species: Crataegus wootoniana, Quercus ajoensis

  • San Diego Botanic Garden (California)

    • Project: Enhancing rare California oak (Quercus cedrosensis) representation in ex situ collections
    • Target species: Quercus cedrosensis

 

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Media contact:

United States Botanic Garden, Devin Dotson, devin.dotson@usbg.gov, 202-306-6743

The Morton Arboretum, Colleen Otte, cotte@mortonarb.org, 224-651-7242

 

 

About the United States Botanic Garden

The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is the oldest continuously operating public garden in the United States, established by Congress in 1820. The U.S. Botanic Garden inspires people to appreciate, study, and conserve plants to enrich society locally and globally. With over a million visitors annually, the USBG strives to demonstrate and promote sustainable practices. It is a living plant museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and Botanic Gardens Conservation International. www.USBG.gov