RESEARCH APPROACH

• Use of the plant collections at cooperative institutions helps to provide access to great genetic diversity



• First generation hybrids are grown in a location with a favorable climate
• Advanced (segregated) populations are grown in different geographic regions for evaluation and selection
• Superior plants are selected that are well adapted to the climatic conditions of the region in which they were grown

Basis of Approach

• First generation hybrids are typically intermediate to the parents in their stress tolerance.
• A few individuals in the second generation will be as tolerant of the stress as the more tolerant original parent
• Occasionally a few second generation hybrids will be slightly more tolerant

How LPDC benefits everyone

• Better adapted plants result in reduced maintenance costs and at the same time lead to a much more effective landscape.



• New plants expand the product mix which enhance diversity in landscapes
• Availability of new plants broadens and improves markets for production and retail nurseries.
• Cooperative network of regional scientists, gardeners, and nurseries offers thorough evaluation of new introductions.