Now is a good time to take a virtual trip to the U.S. National Arboretum (USNA). If you have ever visited the Arboretum, you know it’s truly where science meets beauty.
Established in 1927, the Arboretum, located in Washington, DC, is administered by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The Arboretum is a leading scientific institution where you’ll find an oasis of plants, gardens, and unique collections all in a natural setting. Through programs, exhibits, demonstrations, and more, USNA inspires discovery, understanding, conservation, application of plant science, and our dependence on plants. The Arboretum exists to educate the public about plants, help scientists understand them, enhance plant varieties, and further science.
A public garden with over 400 acres, of gardens, woodlands, and meadows, the Arboretum has about 9 miles of roadway. Within the gardens and collections is an important plant genetic resource used for a variety of scientific endeavors. Scientists here focus on resolving problems with diseased landscape plants. They use the plant genetic resource to identity plants that are resistant to disease and then breed them. Crape myrtles bred to have resistance to powdery mildew are successful examples of this process.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA ARS