Rare Plant Research

$5 General Admission, Free for Members

Will Rogers joined the garden in late 2017 to work on a National Science Foundation grant assessing the “reason for rarity”. Why would a rare plant species grow only in specific, isolated locations while another species in the same genus be commonly seen on roadsides? Will is seeking answers by studying six pairs of related species (one rare and one common), growing the plants side by side in growth chambers, conducting common garden experiments at the Mimsie Lanier Center for Native Plant Studies, observing in the field, and assessing genetic diversity in the lab.