GCA Scholars Study Native Plants

Aaron Anderson, a PhD candidate at Oregon State University is conducting research on Pacific Northwest native wildflowers. He plans to develop pollinator-friendly planting lists of native wildflowers that are also attractive to home gardeners.

Nicole Argueta is an undergraduate at California Polytechnic State University. She is part of a team at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden working to reintroduce 35 California native plants to create an ethnobotanical garden with medicinal, edible, and cultural purposes.

Rachel Smith is a Masters candidate at the University of Georgia. She is conducting native plant trials of different species and cultivars of Monarda (bee balm) to assess their ornamental and ecological value in the Georgia Piedmont and Blue Ridge areas.

Adrienne Tenney, a Masters student at California Polytechnic State University, developed a step-by-step guide on how to create a garden using native plants, storm-water harvesting methods, and permaculture and sustainable maintenance techniques.