American Society for Horticultural Science

ASHS 2026 Annual Conference

#ASHS2026 Call for Abstracts!
Share your plant science work in Dallas, Aug 3-7.
Submit your ORAL and POSTER abstracts at https://event.fourwaves.com/2026ashs/submission
#horticulture #plantscience

Flowering status of S. sinensis after temperature treatment. (A) The 15 °C treatment results in concentrated flower opening with a noticeable spiral inflorescence. (B) The 20 °C treatment leads to dispersed flower opening with less pronounced spiral inflorescence. (C) The 20 °C treatment occasionally shows large and elongated bracts on the florets.

Spiranthes sinensis s.s. plants should be treated at 15 °C from late August to early September, and they should be moved outdoors for cultivation after 2 months. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05826-25 #plantscience

ASHS HortLegend Patrick Conner

ASHS HortLegend

Patrick Conner credits his ASHS membership as being the foundation of his career. Learn more about Patrick and his work at https://youtu.be/u6b4utaXuYQ?si=TlqWkSUzT9WWJNe1.

Experimental gable-roof high tunnel in Wooster, OH, USA (9.1 × 36.6 m; peak height, 4.1 m), oriented north–south, with double-polyethylene roof, single-polyethylene rollup sidewalls, and double-polycarbonate end walls. No active climate control. Air temperature was recorded 1.8 m aboveground at the tunnel center.

ML-based forecasting shows a strong potential for early warnings of high-temperature events and other agricultural decision support, including frost protection and scheduling of planting, harvesting, and irrigation. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05825-25 #plantscience

ASHS Career Center

ASHS Career Center

EDSA Design Dir - Hort and Biodiv https://ow.ly/MsUy50Yqkus

Urban Hort Inst/Sr. Inst I/Ed Pgm Coord https://ow.ly/8R0U50YqkuB

Asst Prof (Veg Crops) https://ow.ly/J5IB50Yqkut

Dir of Hort https://ow.ly/gMIA50Yqkuo

https://ashscareers.careerwebsite.com/jobs/
#plantsciencejobs

A genetically broad-based population of octoploid blueberries was developed based on the gene pool of cultivated highbush blueberry.
#HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19191-25
#plantscience

Beautiful close-up of Easter lilies showcasing their pure white petals and vibrant stamens.

Indoor production of Lilium spp. under artificial light is a viable option for winter cultivation, producing flowers of acceptable quality. #HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19064-25

Congratulations to ASHS members John Dole, awarded the AHS Liberty Hyde Bailey Award, and Ian Ford-Terry, awarded the AHS Horticultural Innovation Award! https://ahsgardening.org/great-american-gardeners-awards/

#ASHS2026 Call for Abstracts!
Share your plant science work in Dallas, Aug 3-7.
Submit your ORAL and POSTER abstracts at https://event.fourwaves.com/2026ashs/submission
#horticulture #plantscience

ASHS webinar March 9 2026

ASHS Webinar - Register now!
2nd webinar in the Plant Innovation Forum (PIF) webinar series
Open Germplasm Resources and Technologies for Researchers and Growers
March 9, 1:00 pm EDT
https://ashs.org/general/custom.asp?page=ASHSWebinars

ASHS Career Center

ASHS Career Center

Ext Spec Home and Community Food Prod and Dir of the Home and Garden Info Ctr https://ow.ly/qSOH50YoQvI

Ext Asst for Horticulture https://ow.ly/CICv50YoQvL

Asst Prof of Applied Crop Sci https://ow.ly/5RWc50YoQvK

https://ashscareers.careerwebsite.com/jobs/
#plantsciencejobs

excessive fertility rates can negatively impact plant growth resulting in stunted growth

"Bridging Research & Practice" ASHS Article Series in GrowerTalks - check out p 42 and 43 of the latest issue for "Beyond Sufficiency" by Patrick Veazie, Kristin Hicks, Jennifer Bolt, and Brian Whipker!
https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_03/index.aspx#

Examples of breeding for disease resistance in cucurbit crops: identifying sources of resistance, development and testing of breeding lines, and breeding to combine resistance with fruit quality.

In addition to the specific genomic, breeding, and disease management goals, the CucCAP project has had broader impacts including use of the new genomic tools to provide insights into cucurbit biology. https://doi.org/10.21273/JASHS05562-25 #plantscience

Overview of the five medium-length shoots (MLS)-targeted treatments illustrated at flowering time and after leaf fall. The top row shows the appearance of flowering and vegetative MLS at flowering time. The middle row shows the MLS immediately after the treatments—Cont-F, Cont-V, Head-F, Head-V, and Thin-F. The bottom row presents the primary regrowth shoot(s) formed at the distal end of each treated MLS after leaf fall.

New HortTech paper introduces medium-length shoot-targeted pruning strategies (Head-F and Head-V), applied at flowering to regulate return bloom and improve fruiting-shoot quality in apple-highlighting the importance of where and when pruning cuts are made. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05820-25

ASHS Webinar - March 2, 2026 at 1 pm ET

ASHS Webinar - Register now!
Plant Innovation Forum (PIF) webinar series keynote:
Food Plant Diversity in a Changing World
March 2, 1:00 pm EST
Speaker - Dr. Colin Khoury

Register at https://ow.ly/ovQf50YmrS5

New Caladium Cultivars UF-15-131 and UF-15-627 for Containers and Landscapes

Two new caladium cultivars released from UF_IFAS: 'UF-15-131' (Juicy Gossip) and 'UF-15-627' (Passion Punch) offers superior sunburn tolerance & disease resistance, perfect for containers & landscapes. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19155-25 #horticulture #plantbreeding #Floridaagriculture

(A) Depiction, (B) whole plant dry weight, (C) dry weight distribution, and (D) heat damage index of nine Pelargonium genotypes grown in growth chambers under the control (25 °C/15 °C day/night) and heat (35 °C/25 °C day/night) treatments for 12 d. Different letters indicate significant differences within a genotype based on an independent samples t test (P < 0.05).

Heat stress threatens many ornamental plants. Researchers identified heat-tolerant Pelargonium genotypes, providing genetic materials for breeding resilient Pelargonium varieties. #HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19144-25 #plantscience

ASHS 2026 Aug 3-7 in Dallas

#ASHS2026 - Dallas, August 3-7
Registration is open! Join us and connect with an elite global network of R&D professionals.
Learn more and register at https://ashs.org/event/2026Dallas
#scienceconference #plantscience #horticulture

'Ouachita' blackberry at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Fruit Research Station, Clarksville, AR

New research in Arkansas has observed that lower rates of N fertilizer may still be sufficient to produce commercially successful 'Ouachita' blackberries.
#HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19078-25
#horticulture

ASHS Career Center

ASHS Career Center

Horticulture Undergrad Rsch Asst - Computational Genomics & Bioinformatics (Plant Breeding) https://ow.ly/kIBx50YkZBP

Hort Tech-Rubio-Ames https://ow.ly/FbKJ50YkZBM

Lecturer, Clemson https://ow.ly/gc2250YkZBN

https://ashscareers.careerwebsite.com/jobs/
#plantsciencejobs

Basil, cilantro, and sage seedlings grown under sole-source lighting with different blue (B; 400 to 499 nm), red (R; 600 to 699 nm), and far-red (FR; 700 to 750 nm) photon flux densities (PFDs), whereas values represent the photon flux density (in µmol·m−2·s−1) of B and FR wavebands.

Blue light and far-red radiation interact, sometimes in contrasting ways across species, to regulate stem length, leaf area, and biomass accumulation.
#HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19124-25
#plantscience

Representative images of excavated and cleaned root masses for crape myrtles planted without root manipulation (A: Control); four knife cuts into the root ball (B: 4-Cut), root ball base severed (C: chop), and hand-teased (D: Butterfly) at the conclusion of the study spanning 28 Apr 2023 through 15 Oct 2024 in Hammond, LA, USA.

Pre-plant root-manipulation practices did not affect the establishment or growth of Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’ in an 18-month post-installation study period. #HortTechnology https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05794-25

Close-up of vibrant green leaves with sunlight creating a natural texture.

Detailed view of a vibrant monstera leaf showcasing its unique texture and rich green color.

🌱✨ How much light do your houseplants REALLY need? A new study measured photosynthetic light-response curves for 12 popular tropicals - Philodendron, Monstera, Syngonium, Goeppertia! 🌿💡 🔍📈 #Houseplants #PlantNerd #HortScience #Photosynthesis https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19169-25

Phenotypic characteristics of ‘Mengwa’ and ‘Fenbilishi’. (A) Potted plant of ‘Mengwa’. (B) Flowering performance of ‘Mengwa’ at full bloom. (C) Detailed features of the abaxial side, calyx, and pedicel of ‘Mengwa’ flowers. (D) Leaf traits of ‘Mengwa’. (E) Single flower characteristics of ‘Mengwa’. (F) Flower characteristics of ‘Fenbilishi’. (A, C, D, and E) were taken in the greenhouse; (B and F) were taken outdoors.

‘Mengwa’ is a perennial evergreen shrub with an upright and relatively compact growth habit. #HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19184-26

A new Clematis cultivar, Ziqidonglai. (A) Plant type of ‘Ziqidonglai’. (B) Flower of ‘Ziqidonglai’. (C) Leaves of ‘Ziqidonglai’.

The new clematis cultivar Ziqidonglai originated from a cross conducted in May 2020 using ‘Utopia’ as the female parent and ‘Ada Sari’ as the male parent. #HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19162-25

Agglomerative phylogenetic hierarchical clustering of 268 North Carolina strawberry genotypes based on fruit composition parameters. Developed using Euclidean distance and Ward.D2 distance linkage methods. Colored branches include different clusters: cluster 1, green; cluster 2, red; cluster 3, blue; and cluster 4, purple.

Fruit composition variability was determined in 268 strawberry genotypes. These results will help guide selection decisions aimed at improving flavor and fruit quality. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19158-26https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19158-26

ASHS 2026 Speaker Dr. J. Alex Thomasson

Announcing 2026 William A. (Tex) Frazier Lecture Keynote
"Physical AI for Horticulture: Where Robotics, Biology, and Intelligence Meet"
Dr. J. Alex Thomasson, Director, UA Agricultural Autonomy Institute, MS State
Register for #ASHS2026 at https://ashs.org/event/2026Dallas

ASHS Career Center

ASHS Career Center

Horticulturist https://ow.ly/Mrtx50YfWfb

Nursery Grower https://ow.ly/WSUi50YfWff

Seasonal Horticulture Assistant https://ow.ly/1bET50YfWfg

Botanical Gardens & Grounds Project Manager https://ow.ly/Q57o50YfWfj

https://ashscareers.careerwebsite.com/jobs/
#plantsciencejobs

ASHS Industry Member Spotlight - Janel Ohletz

ASHS Industry Member Spotlight

Janel Ohletz, Director of Agriculture Operations at Plantd, values her ASHS membership for the ability to network with so many people of diverse knowledge, experience and skills.

https://ashs.org/page/industrymemberspotlight

Appearance of whole plant (A), inflorescence (B), and flower (C) of Hemerocallis ‘Hualien No. 7–Richness’. Bars represent 10 cm in (A), and 2 cm in (B) and (C).

Hemerocallis ‘Hualien No. 7–Richness’ is a perennial, evergreen plant that reaches a height of 50.8 cm and has a vigorous growth potential.

#HortScience https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI19001-25