Conservation on Display: Explore CPC National Collection Species at the Missouri Botanical Garden
In celebration of the 2025 CPC National Meeting, Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) staff created a unique and engaging activity for conference-goers—the CPC Rare Plant Scavenger Hunt. Designed to complement the event, this interactive experience also serves as an ongoing public education initiative, showcasing MOBOT’s dedication to rare plant conservation.
The scavenger hunt highlights MOBOT-stewarded rare plant species from the CPC National Collection that are on display throughout the Garden’s living collections. Using a digital map, visitors—whether on-site in St. Louis or exploring from afar—can click on garden locations to learn about rare species, view photos and accession details, and access CPC National Collection plant profiles.
This tool is more than just a fun way to engage with the Garden’s landscapes. It’s a window into the essential conservation work being done behind the scenes. MOBOT’s team cares for an extensive range of rare species in seed banks, greenhouses, a hardy plant nursery, and a micropropagation lab. The plants featured on the scavenger hunt map include those currently under study, surplus from research projects, cultivated varieties, and members of collaborative meta-collections with other institutions.
By making these rare species more visible to the public, MOBOT reinforces the critical role that botanical gardens play in plant conservation—preserving biodiversity, advancing research, and inspiring stewardship through education.
