Moore Farms Botanical Garden Foundation

MFBG FURTHERS EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES BY COLLECTING, DOCUMENTING, PRESERVING, AND DISPLAYING AROUND 6,000 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANTS. THE GARDEN IS A LIVING MUSEUM WITH THE PLANTS ORGANIZED IN COLLECTIONS AND CURATED BY PROFESSIONAL STAFF. THE MOST IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS INCLUDE MAGNOLIA, TAXODIUM (BALD CYPRESS), SARRACENIA (PITCHER PLANTS), AND SOUTH CAROLINA NATIVE PLANTS. THE SC NATIVE PLANT COLLECTION INCLUDES MANY UNCULTIVATED SPECIES AND STATE RARITIES. THE MAGNOLIA COLLECTION IS PART OF A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED, MULTI-SITE COLLECTION IN THE PLANT COLLECTIONS NETWORK OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GARDEN ASSOCIATION. IN 2015, MFBG RECEIVED LEVEL III ACCREDITATION THROUGH ARBNET. MFBG IS ALSO AN AMERICAN CONIFER SOCIETY REFERENCE GARDEN. ALL PLANTS ARE DOCUMENTED AND TRACKED IN A COMPUTER DATABASE, WHICH INCLUDES OVER 61,000 NOTES ON PLANT HEALTH, NOMENCLATURE, ORNAMENTAL VALUE, PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES, ETC., AND OVER 14,000 PHOTOGRAPHS.

MFBG PROVIDES A ROBUST SELECTION OF YEAR-ROUND EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS. IN FIRST-RATE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. THESE PROGRAMS SUPPORT OF THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION AND BROADER HORTICULTURAL INTERESTS. PROGRAMS INCLUDE ADULT CLASSES, PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, DEMONSTRATIONS, TOURS, SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS, FAMILY PROGRAMS, YOUTH PROGRAMS, COLLEGE INTERNSHIP AND OUTREACH. THEY SERVE THOUSANDS OF VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE SOUTHEAST. MFBG'S COLLEGIATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALIFIED STUDENTS TO ENRICH THEIR EDUCATION WITH REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE IN THE PUBLIC GARDEN SECTOR.

MFBG HAS AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAM THROUGH GARDEN TOURS, SPECIAL EVENTS, LANDSCAPING OF PUBLIC SPACES, OFF-SITE LECTURES, WEB PAGE/SOCIAL MEDIA, PLANT SALES, BOOTHS AT TRADE SHOWS/SYMPOSIA, MEDIA APPEARANCES AND PLANT PROMOTIONS. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND VISITATION CONTINUE TO GROW. MFBG IS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GARDEN ASSOCIATION, SOUTH CAROLINA LANDSCAPE AND NURSERY ASSOCIATION, BOTANIC GARDENS CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL (BGCI), PLANT COLLECTIONS NETWORK, SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BOTANICAL SOCIETY, INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROPAGATORS SOCIETY, AMERICAN CONIFER SOCIETY, SOUTH CAROLINA AGRITOURISM ASSOCIATION, ARBNET A SOUTHEASTERN PALM SOCIETY, INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROPAGATORS SOCIETY, NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS, SENTINEL PLANT NETWORK, MAGNOLIA SOCIETY, AMERICAN CAMELLIA SOCIETY, AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA NATIVE SOCIETY.

MFBG CONDUCTS SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, AND PLANT TRIALS FOR THE SOUTHEAST. A PARTICULAR FOCUS HAS BEEN A STUDY OF PLANT MATERIALS AND GROUPS SUITABLE FOR GREEN ROOF AND GREEN WALL USE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. IN USDA ZONE 8.