Magnolia Webinar

Hosted by the Magnolia Society International and the JC Raulston Arboretum

  • Saturday, February 13, 2021 – 12:00 pm–3:00 pm

Presentations

"Magnolia Introductions from the UK and Europe and Collections of Excellence"
Jim Gardiner, Director of Horticulture and Chief Curator, Royal Horticultural Society, United Kingdom

The focus of Jim's talk will be on species introduced during the golden age of plant collecting and their impact on cultivars bred in the United K ingdom to the present. He will also profile U.K. and European gardens and arboreta where significant collections are grown.

Scott McMahan, Manager, International Plant Exploration Program, Atlanta Botanic Garden, Georgia, United States

Scott's talk will focus on the work being done in China and Vietnam to document, collect and conserve rare species of magnolia as well as some of the interesting ornamental hybrids coming out of Chinese breeding programs today.

Speakers

Marcela Serna, Professor, Technologico de Antioquia – University Institution, Medellin,Columbia, South America

Marcela Serna is currently a professor of botany at the Technologico de Antioquia – University Institution, Medellin – Columbia, South America. From 1999 to 2005 she worked at Medellin Botanical Garden working on Colombian Magnolias. Marcela has been a lifetime member of MSI since 2014 and member of Asociacion Colombiana de Botanica, Asociacion Latinoamericana de Botanica and Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation. The title of her presentation is "Diversity of Colombian magnolias and challenges for their conservation". It will include an overview of morphology, ecology and distribution of Colombian Magnolias and main efforts and difficulties to conserve them.

Jim Gardiner, Vice President, Royal Horticultural Society, United Kingdom

Jim Gardiner currently serves as vice president of the Royal Horticultural Society and held the position of director of horticulture. Prior to this, he was the director of the RHS's flagship garden Wisley where he managed the garden for 22 years. He has also held director roles at the renowned Hillier Gardens and Arboretum and the City of Liverpool Botanical Garden. Jim is a former president of Magnolia Society International and led the expansion of the Magnolia Society to an international organization with members worldwide. He is also the author of the important reference book A Gardeners Guide to Magnolias and recently collaborated with Barbara Oozeerally and Stephen Spongberg to produce Magnolias in Art and Cultivation.

Scott McMahan, Manager, International Plant Exploration Program, Atlanta Botanic Garden, Georgia, United States

Scott McMahan is the manager of the International Plant Exploration Program (IPEP) at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. IPEP focuses on plant exploration and plant evaluation and sponsors a visiting scholar program aimed at the exchange of information and germplasm with our international collaborators. Over the past 20 years, Scott has made nearly 30 exploration trips to China, Vietnam, India, Bhutan, Japan, Taiwan, and Mexico.

Cost
Free for members and university students; $40.00 (includes free membership for one year to MSI for non-members).
Registration
Advance registration is required. Please register online using our registration e-store. Registration is limited and is considered complete when payment is received.
Location
Online.
Questions
If you have any questions concerning this symposium, please contact Susan Booth, MSI conference coordinator at boothteach@gmail.com.