Specimens at Denver Botanic Gardens Document Climate Change

Denver Botanic Gardens and University of Denver (DU) are currently collaborating to conduct research that documents climate change effects on native flora in Colorado.  We have been using preserved specimens from the Gardens Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium and other regional herbaria to determine if flowering time has changed over the last 100 years.  A preserved plant with reliable label data is proof positive that it existed in a specific place at a specific time in the state it is shown.  Such specimens show that some Colorado species were blooming on average as much as three weeks later 100 years ago than today– a reflection of warming temperatures that are causing earlier springs.

Amelia Bowman, ‘09 University of Denver (DU) graduate, first discovered this trend investigating a set of six early blooming species that were collected in Colorado
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Scientific discovery in rare plant chemistry

One of the rare Penstemon species tested

“It might be used for medicines some day” is an often-cited justification for protecting imperiled plant species when scientists are pressed to justify our work to protect species that have no perceived “use.”  And yet, it appears that no one has specifically looked at the likelihood that this is true… until now.  Dr. Don Hazlet, Adjunct Researcher with Denver Botanic Gardens and ethnobotanist, will be submitting a report to the Colorado Natural Areas Program this week of the results of his studies on the biochemistry of 80 of Colorado’s rarest plants.  
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