ISHS Acta Horticulturae 620: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Asian Plants with Unique Horticultural Potential: Genetic Resources, Cultural Practices, and Utilization
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF ASIAN PLANT GERMPLASM |
| Author: | K. Kim |
| Keywords: | genetic diversity, plant collections, plant exploration, plant introduction, and evaluation program |
| Abstract:
The Morton Arboretum, located in Lisle, Illinois, has a long-standing commitment to plant explorations to Asian countries and to utilization of the plant germplasm collected there. Throughout its 80-year history, the institution has maintained over 41,000 plants, most of them woody plants, represented by 3,300 accessions in its Taxonomic, Geographic, Special Habitat, and Horticultural Collections. The institution's Collections and Research Programs take an integrated approach to realizing the potential of Asian plant germplasm by selecting, breeding, evaluating, and introducing woody plants through the Chicagoland Grows® Program—plants that can adapt to diverse growing conditions in the rigorous climate of the midwestern U.S.A. As a result of our efforts, the program has introduced several superior plant selections of Asian origin. These are: Acer miyabei 'Morton' (State Street® Miyabe Maple), Syringa pekinensis 'Morton' (China Snow® Peking Lilac), Syringa pekinensis 'Zhang Zhiming' (Beijing Gold&trade: Peking Lilac), Ulmus 'Morton' (Accolade™ Elm), Ulmus 'Morton Glossy' (Triumph™ Elm), Ulmus 'Morton Plainsman' (Vanguard™ Elm), Ulmus 'Morton Red Tip' (Danada Charm™ Elm), and Ulmus 'Morton Stalwart' (Commendation™ Elm). These elm cultivar selections resulted from Dr. George Ware's lifelong study of Asian elms, which were found to be highly resistant to Dutch Elm Disease. As evidenced by the above example, Asian plant germplasm has enormous potential for North American horticulture. The contribution of Asian plants will increase, as the Arboretum continues its efforts to develop plants with superior qualities utilizing the rich gene pool of Asian plant germplasm represented in its collections. | |
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