American Conifer Society

The American Conifer Society was founded in 1983,[1] to help educate the world on conifer trees.[2] The society is divided into four regions which all have their own boards and events. There is also a national board that produces the Conifer Quarterly and schedules the national meeting each year. The national meeting is rotated between the four regions.

American Conifer Society Reference Garden, in the Oregon Garden

To help spread their knowledge and ensure that conifers are enjoyed by all the society also partners with local gardens to help collect plant materials and build gardens. This type of work can be seen in the Conifer Garden at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon.[3]

Education

The society likes to pass on knowledge about conifers as well as discover new and exiting cultivars. This is done through programs like scholarships and grants. The Jean Iseli Memorial Grant provides $4,000 to a public garden or arboretum that takes great measures to show dwarf or unusual conifers. The Society also makes Reference Garden Grants each year and has begun making Conservation Grants. The Society also grants 1-3 scholarships annually, typically in the amount of $2500.

As part of the groups education purpose they have defined growth patterns for conifers around the world as follows:

Growth TypeYearly GrowthGrowth at 10 years
MiniatureLess Than 1 Inch1 foot
Dwarf1 - 6 Inches1 - 6 Feet
Intermediate6 - 12 Inches6 to 15 feet
LargeGreater than 12 inchesMore than 15 feet

[4]

Reference gardens

The American Conifer Society has also defined a select group of gardens around the United States as reference gardens. To be considered a reference garden the gardens must follow the following standards:

  • To provide conifer collections that will educate the public about growing conifers and demonstrate their uses in the landscape
  • Introduce gardeners to new varieties of conifers that are appropriate to grow in their area
  • Reference gardens will be open to the public and contain a minimum number of conifers
  • Conifers will be accurately labeled and properly maintained [5]

The reference gardens are typically renovated existing gardens or brand new gardens that are built with input from the American Conifer Society.[6] Some of these gardens include the Oregon Garden, the University of Tennessee Botanical Gardens, the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, San Francisco Botanical Garden and the JC Raulston Arboretum.

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References
  1. "ACS History". American Conifer Society. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  2. "Knowledgebase record #94". Elisabeth C. Miller Library. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  3. Pokorny, Kym (November 11, 2009). "Find a plethora of conifer ideas at The Oregon Garden". The Oregonian. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  4. Eyre, Rich. "Captivating Conifers for the Landscape". American Nurseryman. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  5. "Reference Gardens Program". American Conifer Society. Archived from the original on 20 November 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  6. Bunting, Andrew. "Renovating a Conifer Garden". Retrieved 10 February 2013.
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