The Plant Research Division (PRD)'s Endangered Plant Propagation Program (EPPP) uses in vitro methods to propagate and preserve endangered plants when more traditional methods are not adequate. Tissue culture methods are used for collecting and plant propagation (see slide shows at left) and cryopreservation techniques (see slide show at left) for tissues and seeds are used to preserve genetic material from endangered plants for the future.

The Plant Research Division collaborates in this project with the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) www.centerforplantconservation.org and with 15 CPC member gardens, including the Holden Arboretum, North Carolina Botanical Garden, North Carolina Arboretum, Historic Bok Sanctuary, Morton Arboretum, Missouri Botanical Garden, Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, The Arboretum at Flagstaff, Desert Botanical Garden, San Antonio Botanical Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Berry Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. There are also collaborations with Nebraska Statewide Aroboretum, Marie Selby Botanic Gardens, and Archbold Biological Station. Currently, more than 40 species from across the United States are being studied. Sixteen of these species are from Florida.

Plant materials are obtained from collaborators and shoot cultures are established at CREW. When these are successfully rooted, the plants are removed from culture and acclimated to soil. Plants are returned to collaborators for reintroduction, research, display, and education projects. Tissues from these cultures are frozen and banked in CREW's Frozen Garden. This work has been funded in part by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services www.imls.gov.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Archbold Biological Station
Marie Selby Botanic Gardens