Collecting Tissues From Native Plant Specimens Growing At The Jardín Botánico De Medellín

Project Status: Completed 2024

Funded by: GGI-Gardens Awards Program, in partnership with United States Botanic Garden

Project Partner: Jardín Botánico de Medellín

Introduction

The mission of the Botanical Garden of Medellín (BGM) is to generate, share, and apply scientific knowledge on Colombia’s plant diversity, contributing to its conservation, restoration, and sustainable management. BGM strives to encourage ethical use of native flora while enhancing the well-being of Colombians.

Project Goals

The BGM’s collections include the JAUM Herbarium, housing over 100,000 plant specimens, and the Living Plant Collection, featuring more than 1,400 species that form a flourishing refuge in the heart of Medellín. These resources support scientific research, conservation, education, and public display. The main goal of this project was to collect DNA tissue samples and herbarium voucher from native plants at The Jardín Botánico De Medellín.

Key Achievements

Through the 2023 GGI-Gardens Partnership Award, BGM launched its plant tissue collection, gathering material from over 100 species, predominantly Colombian natives. DNA and herbarium voucher specimens were collected from 84 genera (12 newly represented in GGBN) across 33 plant families.

During the project, the BGM witnessed the blooming of the Macondo tree (Cavanillesia platanifolia) for the first time in 17 years, allowing a sample to be collected and included in the collection.. Similar to the Old World baobabs, this species is native to the wet Neotropical biome and can reach heights of up to 50 meters. Its flowers, pollinated by bats at night, produced hundreds of winged fruits up to 18 cm in diameter. Some viable seeds have germinated, and seedlings will be added to enrich the Living Plant Collection.