Meet the science-based, horticultural plant risk analysis tool that is good for business and the environment. Known as PlantRight “PRE” (Plant Risk Evaluator), this 20-question, online tool, and database enables Gardens to know before they grow if a plant poses an invasive risk. In addition to hearing how this new decision support tool serves the needs of Gardens across the United States, the presentation will share key findings from regional Garden collaborators. The key issues include: identifying invasive plant threats; easily sharing risk analysis data; evaluating cultivars on their own merits, not those of an invasive parentage; and the need for a platform for collaboration between horticulture and conservation communities in addressing invasive plant challenges.

Presenters: J. Merryweather, PlantRight, San Francisco, California; D.
Stevenson, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, Minnesota; A. Bunting,
Chicago Botanic Gardens, Glencoe, Illinois; R. Byers, Fort Worth Botanic
Garden, Fort Worth, Texas; F. McDonough, Los Angeles Arboretum, Arcadia,
California; K. Bucalo, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, Georgia