At the United States Botanic Garden, we know that plants are essential to the future of humankind, to preserving all life on our planet. We are committed to modeling and educating the public about Conservation and Sustainability, which are about protecting our natural resources and balancing the environmental, social, and economic aspects of how we live. By practicing conservation and sustainability, we will improve our quality of life and ensure the health of communities and the environment for generations to come.

How much of our native plant diversity is currently safeguarded in public gardens? An initiative currently underway by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) in partnership with the United States Botanic Garden and Arnold Arboretum aims to find out. With more than a third of Earth's plant species threatened with extinction, the project will document the collective conservation efforts employed by North American institutions and set in motion plans to increase the number of species conserved across the continent. Led by BGCI's Abby Hird the project will enable public gardens to better understand their individual contributions to preserving plant diversity, and place those efforts within a global network.

Sustainable Landscaping Initiative Gains Momentum
SITES selects pilot projects

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture, New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward Sustainable Infrastructure Project and the Indianapolis Super Bowl Village are among more than 150 projects selected to test the Sustainable Sites Initiative™(SITES™ national rating system for sustainable landscape design, construction and maintenance. Launched in 2005, SITES is a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden to fill a critical gap in green design, construction and maintenance. Learn more about the pilot projects.

What We Are Doing
Partnerships
Sustainability

But did you know that more than one out of every eight species of the world’s flora has been identified as threatened? In the United States, about three out of every ten plant species is threatened. Scientists predict that as more information and knowledge about plant populations around the world is gathered, this number will increase dramatically.

Recognizing the importance of contributing to local, national, and worldwide plant conservation efforts, the U.S. Botanic Garden participates in collaborative partnerships and programs to conserve threatened plants, share information about the threatened flora of the world, and teach others how they can play an active role in plant conservation.

Keep your garden invasives-free

Your garden is a place for beauty and enjoyment, and you can make a difference in protecting natural areas and wildlife habitat by choosing the right plants. Many non-invasive plants are available as alternatives for your use. Potomac Invasives wallet card (pdf, 74.75 KB).

Terrestrial Invasive Plants

You can do your part to help protect the lands you love and beyond by participating and learning more about some common invasive plants in our  latest invasives brochure (pdf, 923.90 KB).

Affiliate Websites:

• http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien
  
  
• Plant Conservation Manual now available: Click Here