The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies
School: PhD candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University

Researching Native Plantings of Different Grass-Forb Ratios for Weed Resistance and Pollinator Provision

Soley will research how different grass-forb ratios in native prairie seed mixes affect native-forb establishment, exotic-weed resistance, and pollinator abundance. Soley will sample plant diversity, plant biomass, and pollinator abundance in experimental plots seeded with different grass-forb ratios in the uplands of a 52-acre restoration site. Findings will provide better understanding of the effect of grass-forb ratio of native plantings on weeds and on the creation of sustainable pollinator habitat.

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies
School: PhD candidate in Conservation Biology, The State University of New York Environmental Science and Forestry

Restoring Rare and Culturally Significant Plants in Southeastern Massachusetts

Kurz's research focuses on restoration of culturally significant plant species on and near Cape Cod, MA, where Kurz grew up. Kurz is working with local community organizations in Southeastern MA to collect seeds, propagate, and restore culturally significant and rare plant species. Kurz will study seed collection as well as germination and propagation requirements of these rarely-cultivated plants in order to help increase access for Indigenous-led and community-wide restoration and gardening projects.

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies
School: Master’s student, Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida

Native Landscaping and Resources for Higher Trophic Levels in a Peri-Urban Development

Cope’s study will focus on new approaches to support biodiversity that are important when identifying conservation strategies in expanding urban areas. Research will quantify the benefits of native-plant use in residential landscaping by investigating effects on arthropod food webs during the early stages of land development. Results will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology and food web of urban and suburban developments and will guide native-plant landscaping strategies.

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies

The Design and Utility of Native Insectary Plantings

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies

Conservation Horticulture for the Native Hawaiian Caper

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies

Evaluating the Efficacy of Phytophthora Detection Methods to Support Best Management Practices in Native-Plant Restoration Nurseries

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies

Understanding Ecological Relationships among Cultivated Lines of Native Plants and Pollinators: A Case Study Using Asclepias (Milkweed)

Peterman’s project will investigate the ecosystem services that cultivars of native plants provide in urban and suburban spaces. Using Asclepias, Peterman will study traits important to maintaining plantpollinator relationships and will look to ensure that this relationship is not hindered in breeding projects aimed at introducing native plants to the ornamental market.

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies
School: Master’s student, Plant and Environmental Science, New Mexico State University

Characterization of Nutraceutical Compounds and Detection of Glyphosate-Containing Herbicide Residues from Opuntia Species.

Alvarez Zavala’s research encompasses three objectives: 1) measure medicinal compounds in prickly-pear fruit from two cultivars “Rojo Pelon” and “Blanca Cristalina”; 2) determine the amount of glyphosate residue remaining on the edible prickly-pear pads after drift from a simulated herbicide application incidence; and 3) simulate a human digestion of glyphosate-containing herbicide to measure bioavailability of the herbicide in the human gut. No known research has been done with herbicides, and this could provide new knowledge for existing cultivation practices.

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies
School: PhD candidate in Horticulture, North Carolina State University

Evaluation of Population Structure in an Inter- and Intraspecific Diversity Panel of Blueberry

Redpath’s project centers around a genome-wide association study in blueberry, using native and novel phenotypes of native blueberry species that have been hybridized into cultivated populations, to identify genetic markers associated with these traits. Hybridizing native species into commercial cultivars suffuses the population with new characteristics such as fruit firmness and increased anthocyanins, as well as increasing heterogeneity in an inbred population. Through genetic understanding of these traits, her project will further leverage early generation testing to accelerate perennial plant breeding programs.

The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies

Masters of Science Biology Jesse Smith is a current master’s degree student in conservation biology at Illinois State University. His research investigates how soil characteristics such as nutrients and microbial communities may influence plant growth and floral displays, which ultimately affect pollinator visitation. Smith’s research focuses on a native legume, purple prairie clover, in tallgrass and hill prairies, two types of remnant prairies in Illinois. The results of this research will help to elucidate the importance of soil health for use in native plant gardening or prairie restorations, and the impact it may have on pollinator abundance and diversity.