News published: 25 February 2026

The United States Botanic Garden, in partnership with ArbNet, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-US, The Morton Arboretum, and NatureServe, is pleased to announce the recipients of the Priority U.S. Trees Conservation Awards — an initiative designed to advance the conservation of at-risk U.S. tree species that are underrepresented in botanical collections.

Ten gardens and arboreta from eight states were selected to receive funding from the first two rounds of awards ranging from US$3,000 to US$5,000 to support the collection, propagation, and safeguarding of 18 priority tree species in botanical collections. Applications for a third round of Priority U.S. Trees Conservation Awards will open in early March, with proposals due April 15, 2026.

This initiative to support on-the-ground conservation action for U.S. tree species started in 2019 when BGCI-US, NatureServe, The Morton Arboretum, the U.S. Botanic Garden and the U.S. Forest Service led a project to assess the threat status of the contiguous U.S. native tree species. This work led to the first comprehensive threat assessment of the 881 tree species native to the contiguous U.S.

The findings highlighted the need to prioritize conservation efforts for U.S. tree species by establishing rare and threatened species in arboreta and botanic garden collections, providing a vital backup should populations in the wild decline or disappear. The Priority U.S. Tree Conservation Awards will leverage new and ongoing projects to bolster efforts to safeguard at-risk U.S. tree species now and into the future.

These awards will support the conservation of critically threatened tree species like Quercus cedrosensis, known to occur on only one mountain range in southern California, and charismatic species like Juniperus grandis, a conifer that occurs in the western U.S. and can grow as tall as 85 feet (26 meters). Many of these tree species are foundational to the ecosystems where they are found, providing numerous benefits to people and animals alike.

“Surveying, collecting, and cultivating these at-risk trees today will not only safeguard the species, but will create a reserve of plants that can be used to help bolster populations in their ecosystems in the future,” said Dr. Susan K. Pell, executive director of the United States Botanic Garden.

“We are thrilled to support the work of these awardees to help improve the conservation status of at-risk U.S. tree species,” said Amy Byrne, manager of strategic partnerships for the Global Tree Conservation Program at The Morton Arboretum, which is leading administration of the awards. “These strategic on-the-ground efforts will help to ensure the future of trees for the benefit of nature and people.”

The awards are part of a broader strategy to bolster coordinated, science-driven conservation action for U.S. flora.

Learn more about the Priority U.S. Trees Conservation Awards below.