Reproductive Biology Laboratory

Intervention is Critical When Plants Can’t Reproduce

Successful reproduction is essential for a species to survive. However, it’s not happening for many plants. At the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Reproductive Biology Laboratory is like a fertility clinic for plants. Scientists learn why some plants are not reproducing, and help identify ways to lessen or solve the problems that threaten plant survival. They also study seed germination and verify the viability of seeds being stored in the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank.

How Reproductive Biology Benefits You—and the World

PHOTO: Plants of Concern When a species disappears, its potential benefits to all life on earth are lost forever. Scientists can learn much by researching issues of plant reproductive biology, and develop methods to intercede when sterility threatens a plant’s existence.

In the Garden’s Reproductive Biology Laboratory, scientists and graduate students study reproductive biology, seed germination, and the quantity of seeds produced by different species. Additionally, samples of seeds stored in the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank are tested in this lab to determine how their viability—or ability to grow—holds up over time. After seeds are collected and quarantined in the Seed Quarantine Room in the Plant Science Center, they are brought to the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Preparation Laboratory. Once healthy seeds are processed, about 25 of them are selected and sent to the Reproductive Biology Laboratory, where they are germinated to ensure that they are viable.

Seeds germinated, grown, and analyzed in the lab reveal genetic differences as well as viability. As Garden scientists work to understand and stabilize plant populations, their actions translate into a more stable planet.

Case Studies

PHOTO: Garden scientists such as Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D., have discovered that lack of fire threatens reproduction in the narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) in rural western Minnesota. He also investigates how the loss of genetic diversity causes reproductive failure in small populations of the narrow-leaved purple coneflower.

Other scientists, including Kayri Havens, Ph.D., director of conservation science at the Garden, have found that too much inbreeding reduces plant vigor in lobelia species (specifically, Lobelia cardinalis and Lobelia siphilitica) at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.

Dr. Havens has also conducted research on the federally threatened Eastern prairie white fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea). This showy orchid's reproductive cycle is a virtual mystery, partly due to the small, almost dustlike size of the seeds that require specific conditions for germination. Garden scientists, with other collaborators, have extracted DNA from 150 such plants found throughout northern Illinois. They are now creating a genetic "fingerprint" for each plant as part of an effort to preserve the plant.

take action:
What can you do?

PHOTO: milkweed

Change your actions:
Encourage pollinators by gardening with plants that produce nectar and pollen. Limit pesticide use. Never collect wild, native plants—many have such specific requirements that they’ll die if removed from their habitat.

To support pollinators in your yard, plant native perennials in an array of colors to attract different kinds of pollinators. Choose plants that bloom over a range of seasons. (Visit Illinois’ Best Plants to find plants suited to your needs.) And don’t forget to grow plants in clusters to create a pollinator oasis.

Change your community:
Consider becoming a citizen scientist on plant conservation projects, and promote conservation-friendly development in your region.

In the Laboratory

Under which conditions do seeds germinate? How long can they be stored and remain viable? The 700-foot Reproductive Biology Laboratory is where scientists and graduate students discover the answers to these questions. In addition to learning more about the reproductive process, they can replace seeds displaying diminished viability with new collections—or existing seeds may be removed from the seed bank to grow new plants, from which seeds may be harvested for the collection.

Staff Scientists

Jeremie Fant, Ph.D.
Manager, Plant Biology and Seed Labs

Kayri Havens, Ph.D.
Medard and Elizabeth Welch Director, Plant Science and Conservation

Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Conservation Scientist

Pati Vitt, Ph.D.
Conservation Scientist, Plant Demography
Manager, Seeds of Success

Stuart Wagenius, Ph.D.
Conservation Scientist