Horticulture’s mission is to increase knowledge, appreciation and conservation of plant diversity and be a regional center of expertise in living collection stewardship, landscape design and exhibition and horticultural “best” practices. In order to achieve this mission Horticulture’s goals are to:
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive and scientifically documented collection of predominately woody landscape plants that is suited to the region (USDA Zone 6a) in an attractive landscape setting that balances important design concepts with species diversity.
- Establish and implement sustainable practices in living collections stewardship, landscape design and exhibition, and horticultural practices.
- Support the development of theme-based display plantings and innovative educational programs in gardening, horticulture, botany, conservation and biodiversity. Provide demonstration plantings of value to the home landscape.
- Propagate and grow native tree and shrub species from germplasm within Bernheim Arboretum and regionally significant areas for the purpose of reforestation, repair of degraded habitat, carbon sequestration and dissemination within the region to create awareness and promote planting of indigenous, long-lived sustainable species.
- Research and develop new cultivars of both native and non-native plants which may be of interest to other arboreta, collections and the nursery industry.
- Develop and share sustainable solutions to climate related problems by reducing pollution and making improvements in land use planning by managing native species and reducing forest loss.
- Create habitat within the arboretum for wildlife species that are threatened or declining because of forest fragmentation.
- Stabilize or improve the status of plant diversity in the Ohio River Valley area and be a regional center of information on the protection of plants of conservation of concern.
- Convey the educational significance of the collections both through technical and popular publications, programs and events and publish research findings.
- Foster cooperative partnerships with the horticulture industry and other institutions, agencies, organizations, businesses and communities and stay abreast of ongoing projects and literature
- Engage the diverse communities of the region and effectively communicate Bernheim’s mission to the public.
