Curation and Management of the RSABG's Seed Collection

The mission of the Garden is to make significant contributions to the appreciation, enjoyment, conservation, understanding and thoughtful utilization of California's natural botanical heritage.

This mission was enhanced in November 1994 when new seed processing and storage facilities were established through the generous support of the Fletcher Jones Foundation. The Fletcher Jones Education Center for the Preservation of Biodiversity complex includes cold storage for seeds, climate controlled growth chambers that facilitate germination studies and graduate program research, seed processing equipment and ample laboratory space.

The primary function of RSABG's Seed Conservation Program is the curation and management of the Garden's extensive seed collection. The collection is comprised of over 4,200 accessions representing more than 1,500 California native plant species and cultivars. These collections serve a diverse community in the conservation, botanical, research, education and horticultural fields.

Following guidelines set by the Biodiversity International, Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), and in consultation with the USDA National Center for Genetic Resource Preservation the Garden provides low humidity and low temperature long-term seed storage for the preservation of plant genetic resources. Facilities presently available include -18° Centigrade freezers as well as all of the equipment necessary to appropriately process and store seed collections.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Garden is authorized and regularly utilized as the principle repository for germplasm collections of rare, threatened and endangered California native plant species.

In 1985, the Garden became a charter member of the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). One of 34 gardens and arboreta nationally, RSABG helps to maintain a national collection of some of the most critically endangered plant species. Coordinated by the CPC, regional participating institutions endeavor to place critically endangered species into cultivation and/or maintain seed collections of these plants in long-term cold storage.

In addition to preserving seeds of rare, threatened and endangered species, the Seed Conservation Program provides seeds as well as tissue samples from the Garden's living display collection for research, display and educational use at other institutions.