plant conservation

Denver Botanic Gardens research staff collaborates with organizations and agencies to protect and conserve many of Colorado’s rarest plant species. Our goal is to protect Colorado’s natural heritage through population monitoring, seed collections, and surveys.

Surveys

Several species of rare wild plants in Colorado are not effectively conserved due to a lack of data. We are filling these gaps by collaborating with Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Colorado Natural Areas Program, to conduct floristic inventories, rare plant surveys, and ecological assessments.

Species we have surveyed:

• Cypripedium fasciculatum
• Cypripedium parviflorum ssp. Pubescens,
• Listera borealis
• Spiranthes diluvialis

Monitoring

Similar to a census, a demographic monitoring study provides essential information for the management and protection of a rare plant species. These studies include collecting data about a population's birth and death rates, age distributions, sex ratios and population sizes. Some of our research projects have included investigation of non-target (i.e. unintentional) effects of biological control agents on Cirsium ownbeyi (Ownbey’s thistle) and Franeinia jamseii (James’ seaheath).

Species we have monitored:

• Astragalus microcymbus (Skiff Milkvetch)
• Astragalus osterhoutii (Osterhout’s Milkvetch)
• Eriogonum brandegeei (Brandegee’s Buckwheat)
• Ligusticum porteri (Osha)
• Lupinus crassus (Paradox Valley lupine)
• Mirabilis rotundifolia (Roundleaf 4 O’clock)
• Penstemon harringtonii (Harrington’s Penstemon)
• Sclerocactus glaucus (Colorado Hookless cactus)

Reintroduction

Reintroducing plants involves the purposeful sowing of seeds or planting of seedlings of rare species, with the goal of establishing the plants in what was once their native range. The Gardens has conducted an experimental reintroduction of Eustoma grandiflorum (Showy Prairie Gentian) at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. This experiment established self-sustaining populations of the rare plant, while testing different methods of establishment. Considerable restoration work is ongoing with dedicated volunteers through the Partners for Colorado Native Plants Program.

Seed Collection

As a member of the Center For Plant Conservation, Denver Botanic Gardens has collected and stored seeds of rare plants since 1992. Seed storage is a form of ex-situ conservation to provide genetic material for plant reintroductions and experimentation. All material is stored at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, a USDA facility in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Below is the list of over 40 species for which we are the stewards.

• Cirsium ownbeyi
• Cleome multicaulis
• Descurainia torulosa
• Draba maguirei var. burkei
• Erigeron kachinensis
• Eriogonum pelinophilum
• Eutrema penlandii
• Gilia caespitosa
• Ipomopsis polyantha
• Lepidium barnebyanum
• Lesquerella congesta
• Lesquerella parviflora
• Lesquerella pruinosa
• Lomatium latilobum
• Lupinus crassus
• Lygodesmia doloresensis
• Mentzelia densa
• Oxybaphus rotundifolius
• Penstemon degeneri
• Penstemon gibbensii
• Penstemon harringtonii
• Penstemon penlandii
• Penstemon retrorsus
• Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis
• Phacelia formosula
• Physaria bellii
• Physaria obcordata
• Ptilagrostis porteri
• Thalictrum heliophilum

More Endangered plants from the national collection.

Become a Rare Plant Monitoring Steward

Biological "hot spots" are regions that have been identified by scientists as having unusually high levels of endemism (species found nowhere else in the world). Seven of these have been identified across Colorado, including the Roan Plateau and Piceance Basin, which spread from Parachute, Colorado on the western slope north to Rifle. These habitats and their species are threatened by many natural and human-caused threats, and our scientists are working to protect them.

Denver Botanic Gardens has teamed up with the Colorado Natural Areas Program to engage our volunteers to take action as trained Rare Plant Monitoring (RPM) Stewards.