Reiman Gardens’ Dr. Griffith Buck Rose Collection Receives Special Honor

Reiman Gardens is proud to announce North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) acceptance of full membership for the Dr. Griffith Buck Rose Collection.

The NAPCC is a network of public gardens and arboreta working to coordinate a continent-wide approach to plant germplasm preservation. Certified collections often serve as a reference for research, plant identification and cultivar registration. Participating institutions provide germplasm for taxonomic studies, evaluation, breeding, and other research. This makes efficient use of available resources, strengthening collections through combined collaborative activities.

The Dr. Griffith Buck Rose Collection is especially unique because it is one of the only cultivar-based collections included in NAPCC. Dr. Buck, a professor at Iowa State University from 1949-1985, developed many beautiful, hardy landscape roses during his tenure. With over 85 named varieties, Buck roses are recognized worldwide for their winter hardiness, attractiveness, and low maintenance. Buck achieved these traits by planting roses in Iowa fields and selecting seedlings from plants that survived temperatures of -20 to -30° F without use of covers or winter protection.