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Join an exciting venture with professional horticulturists, land managers, plant collectors and gardeners to conserve the plants we use in gardens, parks, reserves and revegetated areas.

What are our aims?

We note with concern that many plants once available in the horticultural trade are lost or hidden, unknown, in old gardens. We aim to discover, identify and propagate some of these.
We note with equal concern the sometimes haphazard and undocumented selection of native plants for cultivation and revegetation. We aim to establish collections of such plants and preserve genetic variation for future use.
We believe in promoting the exchange of information between professional botanists and horticulturists and those plant collectors and gardeners who devote much time and energy to the study of particular groups of plants.

We aim to

Maintain and increase the diversity of plants used in gardens and environmental horticulture by selecting and conserving plants of merit.
Conserve plants rare in cultivation by fostering their propagation and distribution.
Avoid the repeated importation of the same plants from overseas.
Maintain good relations with the nursery trade
Foster the documentation, study and propagation of plants in collections and ensure that collectors can pass on their plants and expertise so that they are not lost.

What do we do?

Enjoy looking at, talking and reading about, and growing plants. Register reference collections of plants which are either closely related or share some unifying theme.

Conserve the variety of plants used in gardens, parks, reserves and revegetation by maintaining and documenting plant collections.

Encourage the propagation and distribution of plants from collections.

Provide a forum for the exchange of information between professionals and enthusiasts and correspond with holders of plant collections overseas.

Identify and photograph plants in collections.

Research, propagate and provide information on plants for historic gardens.

Select particular variants of garden plants for the local climate and select and study native plants for growth in particular environmental conditions.

Make use of the generously provided facilities of the Royal Botanic Gardens and National Herbarium for research into cultivated plants.

Maintain links with the nursery trade.

Publish the results of research. Our first major publication is a listing of plants in the nursery trade in nineteenth century Victoria with updated plant names. This will be followed by a popular book making use of this information.

Why have the OPCAA?

Each year many different kinds of cultivated plants are lost from Victorian gardens. Some are victims of changes in fashion; others may be difficult to grow or propagate.
Still more may be lost when a nursery closes down, a plant collector gives up his collection or a garden changes hands.
The OPCAA is interested in conserving plants of merit whether historic cultivars or recent selections of native flora.
After discussions between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne and other interested organisations, the Ornamental Plant Collections Association was set up in 1989 to coordinate the conservation of plants cultivated in gardens and for environmental horticulture.
The OPCAA registers plant collections. It has no desire to usurp the role of specialist plant societies, but is happy to work with them in the establishment, documentation and conservation of plants.
In March 1994 there were 42 registered collections.
Registered Collections include:
Abutilon, Betula, Boronia, Camellia, Cistus, Clematis, Cornus, Cornea, Gladiolus, Hakea, Helianthemum, Helleborus, Hydrangea, Lachenalia, Lavandula, Magnolia, Melaleuca, Quercus, Pelargonium, Rosa (Australian cultivars), Telopea and Viburnum.

What the OPCAA offers

to Collectors:

help with identification, photography, documentation, study and propagation of collections
opportunity to meet others with similar interests but different plants

to Subscribers:

a quarterly newsletter GENUS which has articles on particular groups of plants
lectures and social functions
guided tours of collections
the opportunity to help with the running of the society, research and documentation of collections and fundraising
meeting others really interested in plants!
plant sales and auctions

to Sponsors:

a widely based community organisation with the expertise and experience to make a worthwhile contribution to plant conservation

Address

Ornamental Plant Conservation Association Inc.
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Birdwood Ave
South Yarra, Vic, 3141, Australia
Phone (03) 9650 5639, Fax (03) 9650 5693
Email: opcaa@netspace.net.au

Comments

Comments upon our Web site are welcomed and should be addressed to the Web manager Don Journet e-mail: mailto:donjournet@netspace.net.au

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Last Update: Thursday 10th April 2003