Ohio Arboretum to Uproot Rare Apple Tree Collection
Why this is here: The Dawes Arboretum is removing the apple collection despite a letter signed by over 100 plant breeders and growers who pleaded for more time to study and evaluate the trees’ potential.
Researchers face a deadline to relocate a collection of rare apple trees from Dawes Arboretum in Ohio. Tree-fruit specialist Diane Miller began collecting seeds from wild apple trees in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in 2004. She planted the seedlings at Dawes in 2007, creating a 15-acre repository of unique apple genetics.
The collection, with roughly 800 trees, is considered critical for breeding disease resistance into domestic apples and reducing reliance on chemical sprays. Dawes Arboretum’s new executive director ordered the trees’ removal by March 2027, citing a need to adjust research priorities and a lack of formal agreements.
Researchers are now scrambling to propagate the trees through grafting, but fear they will lose valuable genetic material and years of research. The Millers will begin collecting scionwood to propagate clones from the planting, but will lose mature trees. Dawes plans to donate the removed trees to local zoos.