Managing botanic garden collections of high conservation value

The author has spent 30 years co-ordinating the International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP), based at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and uses this significant milestone to reflect on some important aspects of managing genetic resources in plants conservation concern. main driver ex-situ component ICCP been develop robust protocols for broadening base threatened conifers a range dependent Chilean woody cultivation. This is achieved using well-documented known wild origin material distributed through dedicated network ‘safe sites’. Examples species which collection cultivation breadth enabled meaningful are given here. strategy increase sometimes involves novel methods including hedges. great challenge facing all managers botanical collections how effective programmes that integrate with in-situ conservation. biggest contribution growers can make maximise value their care actions achieve listed.