SEGreen Plant Conference Speakers Announced 

A Lineup of Visionary Authors, Breeders, Geneticists, Horticulturalists, Professors and World 

Travelers Will Provide a Glimpse of New Plants Coming to Market at the SEGreen Plant Conference

Atlanta, Ga., April 20, 2016 – The Southern Nursery Association (SNA) has announced details of 

the SEGreen Plant Conference, scheduled for August 31 – September 1, 2016. The conference will be held in conjunction with SEGreen at The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia.

Ten of the industry’s top plant experts will share their knowledge and expertise during this two-day conference. Internationally recognized plantsmen, Don Shadow, SNA past president, and Dr. Michael Dirr, author and retired professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, will moderate the sessions featuring an impressive list of authors, botanical garden directors, breeders, geneticist, horticulturists, professors, and world travelers.

The SEGreen Plant Conference provides the perfect platform for the grower, landscaper and retailer to come together for a glimpse of exciting new plants coming to market, with focus on new and superior cultivars, the most resistant, prolific blooming, superior shape or habit, and the most interesting flower or foliage.

The speaker lineup and sessions include:

Dr. David Creech, Regent’s Professor and Professor Emeritus, Stephen F. Austin State University

Climate Change Friendly Trees and Shrubs for the South

Dr. Michael Dirr, Retired Professor, University of Georgia, Author, Cofounder Plant Introductions

The Best of the Plant Conference

Natalia Hamill, Brand & Business Development Manager, Bailey Nurseries

So We’ve Got all These New Genetics, Now What?

Dr. Thomas Molnar, Associate Professor, Rutgers University

The Rutgers Woody Ornamental and Nut Tree Breeding Program: New Plants and Future Directions            

Dr. Richard Olsen, Director, US National Arboretum

National Arboretum 2.0 :  Creating New Legacies for an Impactful Future

Dr. Allen Owings, Professor and Research Coordinator, Louisiana State University AgCenter

Herbaceous Lagniappe from the Louisiana Landscape

Dr. Tom Ranney, Professor, NC State University Mt. Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center

Breeding Breakthrough Plants: The Newest Introductions from NCSU

Dr. Tim Rinehart, Research Plant Molecular Geneticist, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Sequencing the Genome: Hydrangea Macrophylla’s Genetic Secrets Finally Revealed

David Roberts, General Manager and Plant Breeder, Plant Introductions/Bailey Nurseries

From Idea to Introduction:  Using Breeding Innovations and Understanding Limitations to 

Improve Ornamental Characteristics and Environmental Tolerance

Panel Discussion:  Bringing New Plants to Market and Creating Winners

Dr. Dennis Werner, Professor Emeritus, NC State Department of Horticulture Science

Designer Genes - Designer Redbuds:  Twenty Years of Cercis Breeding

The Don Shadow Award of Excellence will be presented at the conclusion of the conference followed by the SEGreen New Plant Auction. In addition, a UGA Campus Landscape Walk & Talk with Dr. Michael Dirr is scheduled following the conference.

Registration for the conference is $90 for a 1-Day Access Pass (Wednesday or Thursday), and $150 for an All Access Pass (Wednesday and Thursday), with the option of attending any Plant Conference or Landscape Conference sessions. A SEGreen Name Badge is included with registration for access to the SEGreen Marketplace. Speaker bios, session titles and description, schedule and registration information can be found on the SEGreen website at www.segreen.org. 

SEGreen, scheduled for August 30 - September 1, 2016, will offer vision for Southeast grower, landscaper, and retailer through a regional marketplace, education, and garden, nursery and retail tours. 

A host of the region’s top experts will participate, sharing their expertise and perspectives on the road ahead. 

The event will kick off with garden, nursery and retail tours on Tuesday, August 30. Included on 

the agenda is the SEGreen Marketplace, SEGreen Plant Conference and the SEGreen Landscape 

Conference (August 31 and September 1). SNA will be conducting annual business as well during 

SEGreen with the 61st SNA Research Conference (August 30 – August 31), the 118th Annual SNA 

Business Meeting (September 1), and the SNA State Officer’s Conference (September 2).

The Classic Center, located in downtown Athens, Georgia, offers state-of-the-art technology in modern spaces perfectly paired with restored historical structures. Numerous hotels, restaurants and pubs are within walking distance. Connected by five major highways and convenient to two interstates that link Athens to the Atlanta and the Greenville-Spartanburg International airports, The Classic Center is the perfect fit for this new event.

Founded in 1899, the Southern Nursery Association is a non-profit trade association representing the horticultural industry in the southeastern U.S. SNA provides member services to wholesale growers, brokers, retailers, landscape contractors, landscape architects, grounds maintenance contractors, interiorscapers and allied suppliers. The SNA strives to unite and advance the horticulture industry through educational, research and marketing efforts.

More details of SEGreen will be released in the coming weeks. For further information, contact the Southern Nursery Association, Inc., PO Box 801454, Acworth, GA 30101, 678.809.9992, mail@sna.org, or visit the SEGreen website at www.segreen.org.

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