SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14 in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Adam Black will present a lecture titled “Collecting Amazing New Plants for Gulf Coast Landscapes.”
Until recently, Black managed the forest health laboratories at the University of Florida, assisting in forest pathology, entomology and symbiology labs. Black also assisted in student research and in the molecular diagnostics lab. His work in these areas has evolved from his life-long interest in botany.
In his spare time, Black collects unusual or otherwise esoteric plants, with further interest in finding interesting mutations of ornamental value — an obsession that spawned his rare plant nursery called Xenoflora. His goal at Xenoflora is to introduce new and interesting plant selections with an emphasis on disease resistant, native and eco-friendly exotic species adapted to the harsh conditions of the Deep South.
Black was recently hired as the director of horticulture for Peckerwood Gardens in Hempstead, Texas. He plans to bring many of the rare and exotic plants in his Florida collection with him to Texas, and will feature many of them in his lecture on Thursday.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at SFA’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public. Donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are encouraged.
Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building.
For more information, call (936) 468-4404 or email SFA Gardens Research Associate Dawn Stover at dawnstover@sfasu.edu.
