“Working with, and learning from plant collections is never finished, which in and of itself is exciting.”
MAGNOLIA SPECTRUM
We are once again delighted to share some of our happenings and updates with you from the Atlanta Botanical Garden. As I round into my 22nd year with the Garden and fifth year as Vice President of Horticulture and Collections, I can say without a doubt that there is nothing static, boring, or unexciting about our plant collections or future.
Any of us with greenhouses or conservatories know that mechanics are a big deal. The Garden has been investing significantly in repairing and updating systems and mechanics; it’s one of those behind-the-scenes things that isn’t as glamorous as the plants but is indispensable for growing them. We pride ourselves on sharing collections, many of which are grown out in the greenhouses currently being updated. We are also privileged to share our knowledge with others wanting to grow and build plant collections, as you’ll see in article by Scott McMahan, Manager of International Plant Exploration Program.
For hardy plants, many took a beating in the polar vortex during the winters of 2022 and 2023. We can’t climate control the out-
door gardens, so we took it as an opportunity to see what would rebound from dropping over 30 degrees in six hours. Then, staying below freezing for over two days. The playout over the course of this year of that weather event for something like our hardy, terrestrial orchid collection has been interesting. However, we all know that working with and learning from plant collections is never finished, which in and of itself is exciting.
Thank you for continuing to be wonderful friends and colleagues! We would love to hear from you about any of the articles we’ve featured, your favorite plants, plants you’ve gotten from us in the past, or any other exciting developments in your part of the country. Cheers to 2024!
Amanda Bennett Vice President, Horticulture & Collections
Sharing is caring
BY DAVID RULAND
It is an honor and a privilege as much as an obligation for a botanical garden with fairly sizeable collections and share duplicate material with other institutions. There are many reasons that this is what we consider to be preferred practice and one of the main reasons you are currently reading this publication.
First and foremost is safeguarding a single accessioned plant. It accomplishes nothing for one entity to be in existence at one place without any efforts made to back it up. While not every accession is a candidate for further safeguarding efforts, efforts and energy should be given to collections significantly difficult to replace or re-obtain. The chance of loss through accidental death, theft, natural disaster etc. is just far too great to allow the foolish notion of “we have what no one else has” to be entertained. A considerable number of plant groups can be propagated clonally through division or cuttings. Conifers for instance, a group that is often represented in these pages, are often able to be propagated through cuttings which allows the distribution of an exact clone. This helps to share select individuals as well as small groups of relatively rare species. The Garden has taken multiple measures over recent years to distribute and share many of our rare and unique collections, such as the tropical conifers, with other institutions, researchers and botanical gardens.
Another opportunity to share material comes with the ability to lend support and resources to other institutions as they create and expand their growing facilities. Whenever we are able and without compromise to our collections, the Garden is often willing and eager to share our plants with others who are creating new conservatory or display spaces, as well as with those institutions already established but may be looking to build or round out a certain collection of plants. Recent examples include the Garden’s backing up
of our Melastome collection at Norfolk Botanical Garden, as well as also sharing other various materials to support their new conservatory space. The Garden was also considerably instrumental in sharing much of our collection, staff knowledge and expertise with the Amazon Spheres during the development and construction of that project. Much of what we are able to share could not be done if other gardens such as Selby, Fairchild, New York, Huntington etc. were not generous with us in our earlier years.
Finally, sometimes rehoming an individual due to its current size, usability, or other preferred conditions is the right choice to make for a plant. In recent years The Garden has shared many large specimens of various conifers, orchids, and other miscellaneous tropicals with Fairchild Tropical Garden. At times filling several moving vans with material that would perform well in their garden and climate, including many plants originally from Fairchild to begin with. Sort of a growers exchange. Other instances of rehoming included the Garden accepting a generous portion of Vanderbilt University’s teaching collection when the program was unfortunately discontinued. Many wonderful plants were donated to the Garden during a period of restructuring there.
As a botanical institution, the Garden takes great measures to ensure that our collections are given the proper priority and resources to succeed wherever they are ultimately growing. We believe the sharing of plants with other growers and gardens is a win-win for everyone involved, especially the plants.
David Ruland Greenhouse Manager
FROM THE ATLANTA GREENHOUSE
As with most collection focused greenhouses, the Garden’s greenhouse has been chugging along at a steady low roar for the better part of this year. Different plant groups have been completely repotted like our Bromeliads, Gesneriads, Begonias and our fern collections. Before we completely turn our back they will be ready again. Other groups like our conifers and aroids will take a bit more time and space wrangling. Trying to fit an ever-growing collection into a finite space is always a constant challenge. Rooting and growing multiple cuttings to replace one large overgrown individual, or just stepping smaller plants up into larger pots and subsequently larger footprints in the greenhouse. Still we continue to strive for the completely unattainable.
At the very begining of the year, staff plan to work with our Plant Documentation team to conduct a collection by collection inventory in the greenhouses. The last full scale inventory was in 2020, and this upcoming inventory will give us a chance to correct any discrepancies within our records as well as provide a clearer picture of what plants still need to be accessioned and properly tagged. It is a vital necessity to ensure that our collections remain accurate and current.
HOYA IMPERIALIS
What’s growing on in Atlanta?
BY DAVID RULAND
Hoyas
Our Hoyas have recently been relocated from Greenhouse 1 into Greenhouse 2. A slightly brighter and drier greenhouse, they will also have a little bit more space to do what they do. Anyone who has dealt with these plants knows their ways. I am ashamed to admit, if at any point in my earlier years working in the greenhouse, if someone were to ask me to single out a least favored group of
Nepenthes
Another group that also poses similar challenges as the Hoyas, if not in a more polite fashion, our Nepenthes collection is due to be repotted soon. Also capable of overwhelming their surroundings with vining branches, twisting petioles and delicate traps, reworking these plants takes a bit of patience and a little more finesse than your average greenhouse resident. It seems as though they resent the disturbance of repotting and will often take a bit of time to show new growth as a result. Still, that is no excuse to leave them in completely spent soil, and ultimately some fresh mix and new hanging baskets will prove to be a benefit in the growing conditions of these interesting carnivores.
FROM THE GAINESVILLE GARDEN
Pretty in pink this spring
BY ETHAN GUTHRIE
Hello from the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Gainesville! It’s been quite a year between redoing the main perennial border, building and planting a new parking lot expansion, plant sales, seed and cutting propagation, repotting, dividing, and so much more.
In Gainesville we have always been a little short on parking for larger events etc. So this year a new parking lot addition was built adding 200 new spaces and lots of new planting area. Our challenge was to fill up the bed spaces with interesting, fairly low maintenance durable plants that also have good impact in the landscape seasonally.
This was achieved by incorporating some tough landscape plants such as Aesculus parviflora, Acer rubrum ‘Brandywine’, Callicarpa americana, Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’, and Nyssa sylvatica ‘Green Gable’ with unique botanical pockets and specimens. We were thankfully able to incorporate new plants into our major collections due to the previous few year’s propagation efforts.
Within our Acer collection we added multiple Acer mandschuricum specimens, as well as wild collected seedlings of Acer oblongum courtesy of our International Plant Exploration Program (IPEP). Both will add botanical interest and fall color to the landscape. In our Hydrangea collection it was a great opportunity to add some of the new Hydrangea paniculata cultivars including H. ‘Puffer Fish’, H. ‘Little Lime Punch’, H. ‘Quickfire Fab’, H. ‘Limelight Prime’, and H. ‘Firelight’. This should be a great test for heat tolerance and bloom color maturation in the south. Another major collection we were able to utilize was Magnolias, of which we incorporated some of our own new untested deciduous hybrid seedlings along with some cutting grown cultivars including ‘Spectrum’ and ‘Phelan Bright’. In addition to the deciduous Magnolias some new evergreen species and cultivars were added as well including Magnolia virginiana ‘Green Shadow’ and M. tamaulipana. The main new evergreen Magnolias incorporated are all hybrids from our good friend Kevin Parris at Spartanburg Community College in South Carolina. Kevin has worked for many years
to incorporate color and cold hardiness into landscape worthy smaller growing evergreen Magnolias for the south. The 10 or so cultivars we planted will make a great testing ground for these new plants which will provide year round interest.
Along with all of these wonderful plants we were also able to use many plants collected by IPEP. These were all grown from seed at the Gainesville greenhouses, then transferred to an evaluation field before being dug and replanted in the parking lot. Some of these include Carpinus viminea, Cornus hongkongensis, Meliodendron xylocarpum, Corylopsis sinensis, and Calodedrus formosana. We are very fortunate to have access to such wonderfully diverse plant material from around the world and continue to evaluate them for adaptability to our climate.
Switching gears just a little bit to give you all an update on our Zephyranthes collecting and trialing. Over the last several years we have worked to collect many different Zephyranthes and Habranthus that we think will do well in Georgia and growing them out in containers for future planting and distribution. Most of these have come from a grower in Thailand, but many have been grown from seed as well. Tim Marchlik of IPEP has been very instrumental in getting these to the Garden. All of our work came to fruition this year with breathtaking displays throughout the summer, most heavily after a good thunderstorm. These summer bulbs seem to not mind being in pots at all and actually thrive. By the end of the summer we were able to divide and repot almost all of the ones we have and have ended up with well over 1000 pots. Some of the highlights of the summer were Z. ‘Pride of Singapore’, Z. ‘Tiger’, Z. ‘Sud Teerak’, Z. ‘Cherry Red’, Z. ‘Double Lotus’, and Z. ‘Millionaire’. In the coming years these will be planted in both garden locations, Atlanta and Gainesville, as well as distributed to many of you and others.
CAPTION
Z. CHERRY RED
Z. DOUBLE LOTUS
ZEPHYRANTHES
Tempermental temperature Lessons from the 2022 polar vortex
BY AMANDA BENNETT, SCOTT McMAHAN, JEFF KILLINGSWORTH
Many individuals and institutions are familiar with tropical species orchids, including our nationally accredited Stanhopia and Gongora collection. It may come as a surprise that for decades we have grown orchids outdoors as well. Bletilla, Calanthe, Cymbidium and both native and nonnative Cypripedium were nestled around the garden like the valuable jewels they are. However, since 2020, the Garden more fully realized the potential for this group of plants.
There are several native and non-native genera that grow well in the Southeast. Bletilla are probably the best known, and least finicky. However, Calanthe bicolor and Cymbidium goeringii are examples of two Asian species at the Garden that enjoy average pH and soil moisture. Cypripedium kentuckyense and C. aucale are two native species that are cultivated with some pH and moisture adjustments. Hundreds of terrestrial orchids have been planted since 2020 along the Azalea Walk, a stretch of path with scores of native Rhododendrons. Obtaining horticulturally grown and cultured orchids from both national and international sources, over 850 total orchids were obtained, representing six genera in 2020, our first year. In 2021, 205 individual orchids were planted, representing five genera. In 2022 - 2023, 75 orchids were planted, representing three genera. The combination of the two collections created an unparalleled experience.
Part of the fun of gardening is taking stock each year of what worked and what didn’t, and either choosing new plants for the coming spring or rearranging existing ones. Sometimes plants don’t thrive because of too much or too little sun, too much or too little water, or a 35 degree plunge into single digits in under six hours and staying below freezing for a few days. Ok, that last one is an unusual case, but that’s what happened in December 2022. What would become of all those orchids?
Since the first emergence of blooms in 2021, informal phenology reports were taken by horticulturists, becoming better with each passing year. But, with the oldest plants in this planting effort only
two years old when the polar vortex plummeted temperatures, would there be any left despite an extra layer of mulch and leaves? With emergence in 2023 brought some surprises and some confirmation of suspicions. Attrition did not correlate directly with genus or nativity. For example, 25 crowns of Bletilla striata ‘Kuchibeni’ was planted in 2020 and 32 crowns were observed sprouting in spring 2023. Meanwhile, 25 crowns of Bletilla striata ‘Soryu’ were planted at the same time and nine were observed sprouting in spring 2023. Of a total of 75 Bletilla crowns planted in 2020, representing three different cultivars of B. striata, a total of 51 crowns were observed sprouting in spring 2023. Not bad for a genus regarded as one of the hardiest for the South. For a cultivar planted in 2022, no crowns were observed. Unfortunately, as we had expected, the 2022 plantings were hit hard regardless of genera. The hybrid Cypripedium were hit especially hard with 52 individual plants of 12 different cultivars planted in 20212022 and only seven observed sprouting in 2023, all sprouts from Cypripedium ‘Lucy Pinkepank’ and C. ‘Sabine’. Calanthe and Cymbidiums fared well overall. Of multiple species and cultivars planted, most sprouted in spring, and some even had foliage that stayed green and seemingly unbothered by the extreme weather. Cymbidium goeringii ‘Tajistan’, Cymbidium ensifolium, Cymbidium ensifolium ‘Lotus King’, Cymbidium faberii ‘Red Lip’, Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium goeringii ‘Dafugui’, and Cymbidium goeringii Tajistan’ all had healthy foliage that made it through. Calanthe ‘Bronze Butterflies’, Calanthe bicolor ‘Eco Cinnamon Frost’, Calanthe discolor, and Calanthe sieboldii all had foliage die to the ground but resprouted in spring 2023.
Record keeping needs to be expanded to include proximity to the sidewalk or other insulating factors to determine whether that has played a part in survival and multiplication. We will continue to plant a variety of species and cultivars, paying particular attention to increase numbers of those that have proven their hardiness so far and expand on our observations. Who knows what the future will bring for this group of plants in Atlanta, but that’s all part of the fun we call gardening.
CYM ‘LANCEE’ X GOER.
CYM KANRAN
Bog sweet bog
BY MAXWELL KOTELNICKI Horticulturist, Conservation Display Garden
Showcasing our native flora of the southeast, the Conservation Display Garden draws upon these fascinating plant communities to highlight species of significant conservation value as well as the rich biodiversity that they attract. Just under one acre in size, this garden is home to over 280 blooming plant species. Over the past three years our team has been tracking insects, birds, herptiles, and other visiting wildlife of the Garden to not only support educational opportunities, but to strengthen our ability to adapt management strategies to include the conservation of biological controls. Observing the larger scope of ecosystem relationships present increases our capacity for balancing dynamic displays with efficient pest and nutrient management, in turn significantly reducing or eliminating the application of pesticides or fertilizers.
The centerpiece of this garden, our beloved southeastern bog, undergoes the perennial ebb and flow of over 80 plant species as they bloom and subsequently redistribute around our stalwart carnivorous pitcher plants (Sarracenia species), an APGA accredited collection. Each year during winter dormancy, horticulturists simulate fire by cutting back large swaths of the bog, removing excess biomass, and then renovating approximately 1/3 of the entire bog space. The renovated space undergoes a more intensive lifting of plants and soil, allowing us to effectively remove aggressive native and nonnative species alike. Taking care to preserve cherished and slower distributing bog members including Platanthera, Lilium, Drosera, and Pinguicula species, pitcher plants have their roots cleaned and mature individuals are divided, ready for respacing in a fresh bed of substrate.
This process is concentrated to only a portion of the bog annually to ultimately maximizing biodiversity. First and foremost, leaving the majority of the bog’s plant distribution intact year-to-year allows for the redispersal of species into and around the renewed Sarracenia bed. The redistributed pitcher plants get a head start on their competition, while preserving the overall number of distinct plant species. Second, it is crucial to recognize the habitat value of the nonrenovated portion for overwintering insects. This winter refugia helps boost the successful establishment of beneficial insect populations during the upcoming spring. Benefits are two-fold as parasitoid wasps and aphid devouring beetles help control pest outbreaks, but these among others will provide a bounty of nutrients to our carnivorous plant collections as they are captured and consumed.
Take for example the blue-winged wasp (Scolia dubia), of which the adult female will attach its egg to an underground scarab beetle grub, such as the destructive when numerous Japanese beetle and June beetle. When the larva hatches, it will consume its grub meal over the following weeks and overwinter in the soil waiting to emerge the following spring and continue the cycle. Adult wasps can be observed nectaring on a wide host of flowers, but also may be lured to the extrafloral nectary found at the throat of a pitcher. Another fascinating beneficial or “biocontrol” integral to the Garden network is the green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans). This predator species may be described as a pitcher plant robber as it lies in wait on the operculum or top of the pitcher’s leaf. It ambushes lured insects prior to them falling into the pitfall trap. Populations of lynx spiders help control outbreaks of
the parasitic pitcher plant moth (Exyra semicrocea), which hosts on Sarracenia and will cause significant harm to our collection if left unchecked.
Cultivating the native plant buffet and eliminating pesticide use within this space has created quite the biodiversity hotspot. In just three years of passive observation, we’ve identified over 150 visiting insects, including 26 butterfly, 12 dragonfly, and five bumblebee species. Bees, perhaps our hardest working pollinators, have been given additional attention, yielding over 30 known species – including the endangered southern plains bumblebee (Bombus fraternus).
Not to be outdone by our smaller garden denizens, we’ve observed six mammal, 12 herptile, and just over 80 bird species. The
passive woodland, whose understory contains two species in conservation focus, Taxus floridana and Torreya taxifolia, beckons to migratory warblers and resident songbirds as they comb through the leaf litter or glean among the branches for berries, seeds, and insect treats. Breeding behavior such as nest building or feeding young has been observed for 27 bird species. The adjacent cascade and pond planted with Osmunda regalis, Nymphae odorata, Asclepias perennis, and Nelumbo lutea supplies an essential water resource for all wildlife especially for breeding frogs and mosquito seeking dragonflies. Intentional rock outcrops are not only visually pleasing but provide snakes and skinks with basking surfaces. The addition of these natural elements increases the allure and health of the Garden while providing guests opportunities to observe the charming
GREEN LYNX SPIDER
MONARCH BUTTERFLY
hooded warbler (Setophaga citrina), or the helpful slug-munching broadhead skink (Plestiodon laticeps). We’ve created this environment to support a vigorous, selfsustaining web of life.
As we continue to develop our native plant collections within the Garden, we hope guests are inspired by their visit to consider incorporating familiar or alternative native species into their own gardens and observe the benefits of the biodiversity that they attract. Consider creating your own biodiversity checklist and consider yourself an important collaborator of the Garden’s thriving ecosystem.
Broadening our horizons
Deepening partnerships abroad through collaboration
BY SCOTT McMAHAN, Manager of International Plant Exploration
TIM MARCHLIK WITH BEGONIA SILHETENSIS
POLYGONATUM MENGTZENSE
The Garden’s International Plant Exploration Program had quite a busy year in 2023. We were not only able to take a two and a half week field trip to new territory in northern Vietnam, but we also had the pleasure of welcoming two of our longtime colleagues from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology’s Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources to work with us for three weeks in August as visiting scholars hosted by the Garden. Once their visit was complete, my colleague Tim Marchlik and I were on the road again, this time back to Northeast India to meet with our colleagues from the Botanical Survey of India to finalize a five-year agreement focused on collaborative fieldwork, rare and endangered plant documentation and staff exchange.
Our travels began in mid-April when Tim and I were joined by Paul Blackmore, the manager of the Tropical Conservatory. Paul was able to see first hand the incredible plant markets that we are able to visit in Bangkok, Thailand on our way to Vietnam. These Thai markets are home to some of the newest cultivars and latest discoveries in SE Asia, so it only made sense that Paul come along to take full advantage of these offerings to add to the Garden’s current collection. Paul also has the skill set needed to help our friends at the Vietnam Academy of Science’s newly constructed Biodiversity Station begin to develop new programs and infrastructure they need to succeed long-term. So, after a 23-hour plane trip, we landed in Bangkok and began a two-day plant shopping frenzy that led to dozens of new plants for our tropical displays. Once we finished our market tours, we left our purchases with a nursery friend in Bangkok who handled all of the necessary paperwork for export and we were on the next flight to Hanoi.
Our colleagues in Vietnam were excited to take us to a new location in the northern province of Lai Chau called Pu Ta Leng Mountain, nicknamed “Green Paradise”. This area is part of the mountain range that makes up the border between Vietnam and China. The trail that ultimately leads to the Pu Ta Leng peak begins in a local village where we first had to negotiate rides on the back of motorbikes in order to get us to the trailhead in the jungle. The ride was exhilarating and saved us hours, but also added a few grey hairs on all of our heads. Our plan was to hike in a full day in order to use an existing campsite as our home base for three nights while we explored in all directions. We had
in tow a full crew of porters who doubled as cooks, a local guide, four colleagues from the Academy of Science, two live pigs, four ducks and two and a half gallons of homemade wine to help us survive our home away from home. The weather cooperated fully and we had a fantastic four days exploring what seemed like only a small fraction of lush jungle that blankets those mountains. Arisaema, Begonias, Rhododendrons, Illiciums, Orchids and countless Ferns were just some of the stunning flora we saw on our treks. Along with this remarkable diversity, we also found three potentially undescribed species and four new records (never been seen in Vietnam) on this outing. All in all, excellent work for our first stop.
Next, we were off to a second location that was much more familiar to us, but just as diverse with much work still to be done, Ngu Chi Son, Five Fingers Mountains. I have written about this mountain on several occasions detailing its’ dangerous history and unforgiving landscape. Moral of the story is trekking on this mountain is always an adventure and this time was no different. We began our day early by negotiating porters and planning our route in the nearby village where we often begin. It was decided that rather than taking the more traveled route which more or less followed a steep ridgeback all the way up the mountain, we would take a “shortcut”. You would think by now
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE BIODIVERSITY STATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION
we would be seasoned enough trekkers to know better than to take the shortcut, but the promise of unexplored valleys dripping with interesting plants was just too tempting. We shoved off at 8 a.m. and by noon our porters were already heavily engaged in lighthearted, but semi-concerning chatter… we were lost. Actually, I suppose we were just very “turned around”. We could see the peak we needed to reach, we just didn’t see a direct path to get there. However, the weather was fantastic so we pushed on climbing near vertical walls covered in roots and bamboo we were able to use as footholds and handles. We continued this way for hours with one of our porters carrying two porter baskets (totaling over 100 lbs.) at one point so the other would be free to swing the machete to cut our path and the head off of a green pit viper that fell out of the bamboo less than ne foot away from us. Finally, we began hearing the cheers of two of our other porters that decided to take the well-worn path up to camp earlier in the day. They were about 100’ above us helping to guide us across a fresh landslide caused by the winter rain. We made it to the camp, but it will go down as one of the top five most difficult hikes I have ever experienced.
A few months after returning from our trip to Vietnam, our friends and colleagues from the Vietnam Academy of Science came over to the US to visit the Garden for the first time. Dr. Dzu and Dr. Khang arrived in August for a three week stay as visiting scholars to the Garden. During their time here, they learned more about the various soils we use for container grown plants, how we collect, sow and store seed for future use, cutting propagation protocols for a range of plants,
received informative tours from members of all divisions of Horticulture and Conservation at both Atlanta and Gainesville locations and were the first of many visiting scholars to stay in the Smithgall Homeplace in Gainesville. In addition to the knowledge exchange that occurred during their visit, the Garden and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources renewed the MOU between the two institutions for another five years. With the continuation of this agreement, continued collaboration including staff exchange, field work and documentation of new plant species can continue for years to come.
To conclude our adventures for the year, Tim and I have just returned from a very productive three-week trip to Thailand and India. As usual, we spent a couple of days in the plant markets of Bangkok after flying for 23 hours from Atlanta via Seoul. We try to time our arrival on the days that the always impressive plant market is taking place at the Chatuchak Weekend Market in the heart of Bangkok. The weekly market attracts vendors from all over the country and only occurs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This market is known all over SE Asia as having everything from the newest cultivars of Aroids to newly described species of Begonia and every interesting foliage plant in between. We brought Paul Blackmore to this very market on our spring trip, so we had an idea what he was looking for amongst our usual list of things to keep an eye out for, such as Hoyas, hardy Gesneriads, Begonias, Hedychiums, Magnolias, species Aroids, species Orchids, etc. We spend one and a half days scouring markets and nurseries, amassing a nice haul of new accessions for
MOU SIGNING
the Garden. Next, it was time to eat an early dinner, take a brief nap and catch a 2:30 a.m. flight from Bangkok to Dibrugarh, Assam via Kolkata.
There were two main goals with regards to our trip to NE India: collect specimens of a potentially new species of Begonia that I had seen one year ago for our friends at the Botanical Survey of India to observe and to finalize an MOU agreement I had been working on with the Botanical Survey of India for almost two years. By the time we had finally arrived in Assam, India we had two full weeks to accomplish what we needed to do. The first part of our trip was spent scouting in and around the Mayodia Pass (8,711’) which was somewhat familiar territory. This area is one of the most diverse temperate jungles I have ever seen and it goes on and on for hundreds of miles. These mountains were
referred to as “The Hump” in WWII and nearly 500 US cargo planes went down in the jungle trying to make it over this part of the Himalayas in order to resupply the Chinese soldiers based in Kunming, China. After spending a few days in the area, we met with a local orchid specialist and made plans for trekking excursions in the more remote areas for the future. Next, we had plans to visit the BSI outpost in Shillong, Meghalaya because they have one of the best collections of native plants of the region. I had also been asked to give a lecture to their researchers focusing on the work we do at the Garden. However, we had a few days before we were to be in the state of Meghalaya, so we decided to drive to Kohima, Nagaland and go on two short treks to survey the flora of that region. We spent several days exploring Mt. Japfu (10,000’ peak; the fourth highest in Nagaland) and the Dzukou Valley (valley floor at 8,000’). The
PRIMULA PETELOTII
broadleaf evergreen jungle of Mt. Japfu was fantastic and because of altitude gain during the trek, we were able to see a wide range of interesting plants growing at a variety of elevations.
The Dzukou Valley’s peak flowering time is early summer and since it was approaching winter during our visit there wasn’t much in flower, but the topography of the landscape was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Once we finished our visit to Nagaland, we made our way to Shillong and met with our new colleagues at the BSI field office there. After two days there, it was finally
time to travel to Kolkata and meet with the director of BSI to sign the agreement. During the signing ceremony, I learned that the this was the first time the Government of India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has ever signed an agreement with an NGO. Both parties are looking forward to a long and productive collaboration focusing on exploration, documentation and most importantly, knowledge exchange.
PLEIONE HOOKERIANA
SUNRISE AT HUNLI, INDIA
DR. DZU AND KHANG WORKING AT THE ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN GREENHOUSES
