In a race to save rare plants, MoBot scientists study which survive best in St. Louis
Scientists discover about 2,000 new plant species every year, but these days, they’re in a race against time.
Plants that have grown on Earth for millions of years are vanishing, due to habitat destruction, climate change and other threats. About 40% of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction, according to a recent international report.
Botanical gardens, long a bulwark of conservation efforts, are growing more threatened plants to stave off extinction. New research from the Missouri Botanical Garden predicts which plants can survive outdoors in St. Louis — a project intended to help other institutions select species suited to their own climates.
More than 32,000 plants are grown outdoors at the Missouri Botanical Garden, from trumpet-shaped foxglove to towering gingko trees.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/health-science-environment/2022-01-20/in-a-race-to-save-rare-plants-mobot-scientists-study-which-survive-best-in-st-louis