As of May 2024, 42 public gardens and arboreta across North America have shared observations of plants escaping cultivation, contributing to a database with over 890 plants records. These contributions have enabled PGSIP to begin issuing Plant Alerts designed to raise awareness of ornamental plants that have been reported by participating gardens and to provide recommended actions to prevent their introduction and spread into the wider landscape.
The PGSIP Working Group seeks collaborative and proactive approaches to implementing best practices and voluntary codes of conduct around invasive plant issues in the public garden sector. The working group and the development of this database are generously supported with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute for Food and Agriculture and via the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
The PGSIP Database was built using the Botanical Research And Herbarium Management System (BRAHMS) developed by Oxford University. The PGSIP Working Group chose this application for collecting public garden data due to its flexibility, scalability, and degree of security.
