How can botanical gardens keep plant species alive after they become extinct in the wild?

Botanical gardens preserve plant species that are extinct in the wild through a process known as ex situ conservation, which involves protecting and maintaining species outside of their natural habitats.1

These institutions utilize several key methods to ensure the survival of rare and endangered plants:

• Living Collections: Gardens maintain living specimens in controlled environments, such as greenhouses or landscaped displays. These collections serve as genetic reservoirs, allowing plants to be cultivated and propagated through cuttings or seeds.23
• Seed Banks: Many botanical gardens operate or partner with seed banks to store vast quantities of seeds. This method guards against extinction by preserving genetic diversity in a dormant state, which can later be used for restoration projects.2
• Collaborative Networks: Gardens frequently work together to exchange seeds, pollen, and genetic information. This cooperation helps maintain healthy, diverse populations of threatened species across multiple locations.2
• Human Intervention: In cases where natural pollinators have disappeared, botanists may manually pollinate plants to facilitate reproduction, ensuring the species continues to produce offspring.3

Through these scientific efforts, botanical gardens act as vital refuges, preventing the permanent loss of plant biodiversity.23