Texas Plant Conservation Program
Plant diversity is being lost at an alarming rate. It is this same diversity that supports human livelihoods and many of our most precious natural resources. One of Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s major goals is to raise awareness of the value plants bring to life, and the threats they face worldwide. We are committed to working toward conserving plant diversity at home in Texas, and around the world.
Vision & Purpose
To prevent plant extinction in Texas by supporting and maintaining viable, self-supporting, and genetically diverse populations of all Texas plants in their natural habitat, and to collect, store, and manage conservation seed collections for use in research and restoration of rare Texas plants.
By the Numbers
Rare vascular plants in Texas
427
Critically imperiled species in Texas
72
Species seed banked at BRIT
31
Total number of seeds
100000
Program/Area Summary
Texas is home to 448 rare vascular plant species, including 113 categorized as Critically Imperiled (G1) and at high risk for extinction. For many of these species only a few individual plants remain in the wild. These plants are faced with increasing levels of threat from population growth, urban development, land use changes, invasive species, and climate change. Population monitoring is essential for identifying populations and species in decline and targeting sites for seed collection and habitat restoration. The Texas Plant Conservation Program conducts research on rare Texas plants with projects including species status assessments, predictive habitat models, and population monitoring.
In addition to the above activities, the BRIT Conservation Seed Bank collects seeds from wild populations of rare plants as an insurance policy against extinction. The seed is used for research and restoration efforts for these rare species. The seed bank is an essential component of our Plant Conservation program and provides baseline data and plant materials for research efforts seeking to understand how we can best conserve these species while actively conserving the genetic diversity of our most imperiled plants.
Recovering Texas's Rarest Plants
Over the past five years, endangered plants accounted for roughly 74% of all species recoveries nationwide, while receiving less than 5% of federal and state recovery funding.
At the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT), our conservation team is part of that work. We are focused on the recovery of several of Texas’s most endangered native plants:
- Texas Golden Gladecress (Leavenworthia texana)
- Texas Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe scabriuscula)
- White Bladderpod (Physaria pallida)
- Large-fruited Sand Verbena (Abronia macrocarpa)
This work relies on practical, well-understood methods: habitat protection, seed collection, propagation, reintroduction, and land management. Because endangered plants on private land are generally exempt from federal prohibitions against harm, much of this conservation moves forward through voluntary partnership rather than regulation—keeping the focus, and the funding, on work in the field.
Our researchers contribute to plant conservation well beyond Texas. FWBG | BRIT took part in the Plant Conservation Leadership Summit, a gathering of more than 100 leaders from the nation’s botanic gardens and plant conservation organizations and now serves on the action plan committee for the U.S. Action Plan for Plant Conservation, a national collaboration convened by the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Together, these efforts point toward a rare opportunity: one of the largest waves of endangered species recoveries in the country’s history.
More Videos
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Texas Plant Conservation Program
The Texas Plant Conservation Program safeguards rare Texas species from extinction, preserving and restoring habitats to keep our state’s native flora thriving.
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Texas Plant Conservation Conference
The Texas Plant Conservation Program safeguards rare Texas species from extinction, preserving and restoring habitats to keep our state’s native flora thriving.
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Rare Plant Mapping
Utilizing Citizen Science and Museum Data to Identify Populations of Rare Plants
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Mapping Rare Plants on Roadsides
BRIT is partnering with Tarleton State University to create predictive habitat maps of rare species for the Texas Department of Transportation.
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Plant Risk Evaluator
Through a 2017 Farm Bill grant, 4 botanic gardens across the nation commenced deployment of the PRE™ (Plant Risk Evaluator) tool and database.
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Urban Ecology Program
The Urban Ecology Program transforms cityscapes into living labs, advancing sustainability, biodiversity, and community engagement through field research.
Connect With Us
If you’d like to learn more about our ongoing projects or volunteer with the Texas Plant Conservation Program, please email Dr. Brooke Byerley Best, Ph.D. at bbest@brit.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
