Chicago Botanic Garden

Plant Science — OUR SCIENTISTS

Chad Osborn, Ph.D.

Program Manager, Chicagoland Grows,® Inc.

M.S., Plant Genetics and Breeding, Michigan State University, 2003

CONTACT
PUBLICATIONS
(847) 835-8301


Research Interests

• Overseeing the development of new ornamental plants through traditional plant breeding and selection
• Coordinating the evaluation of new ornamental plant varieties
• Discussing potential new plants with industry professionals, plant breeders and home gardeners
• Introducing new plant varieties to the green industry
• Marketing and promoting CLG plant material to the green industry


Statement

Chicagoland Grows,® Inc. is one of the most innovative plant introduction programs in the horticulture industry. The program's main goal is to develop and promote the use of new plant cultivars that are well-adapted to the growing conditions of the Upper Midwest. While regional in focus, the program's plants can be grown successfully in all zone-appropriate regions of North America, Europe and around the world. The Chicagoland Grows® program constitutes a corporate partnership among the Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Grower's Association of Northern Illinois (OGA). The OGA is a network of wholesale nurseries located in northeastern Illinois.

The program manager oversees the daily operations of the Chicagoland Grows,® Inc. Plant Introduction Program. The job has a broad spectrum of responsibilities because the program is multifaceted: evaluating, introducing, recommending and promoting plant material. New material comes into the program from the plant breeding efforts at the Chicago Botanic Garden and The Morton Arboretum. Other sources of plant material come from regional nurseries and home gardeners. These potentially new introductions are placed in an evaluation program and evaluated under various landscape conditions. If proven worthy they are then propagated and distributed through a national and international network of cooperative nurseries and tissue culture labs. Once sufficient numbers of the plant have been produced the new cultivar is marketed and promoted to the horticulture industry. Revenues from the sales of these plants return to the program and distributed to the botanic garden and arboretum to further breeding and selection efforts.


Selected publications

Osborn, 2006. Baptisia x bicolor 'Starlite' Starlite Prairieblues™ False Indigo. Plant Release Bulletin, Chicago Botanic Garden.

Osborn, 2006. Aronia melanocarpa 'Morton' Iroquois Beauty™ Black Chokeberry. Plant Release Bulletin, Chicago Botanic Garden

Osborn, 2006. Buxus 'Wilson' Northern Charm™ Boxwood. Plant Release Bulletin, Chicago Botanic Garden.

Osborn, 2005. Baptisia x variicolor 'Twilite' Twilite Prairieblues™ False Indigo. Plant Release Bulletin, Chicago Botanic Garden.

Osborn, 2005. Echinacea 'CBG Cone2' Pixie Meadowbrite™ Coneflower. Plant Release Bulletin, Chicago Botanic Garden.