Steppes: The Plants and Ecology of the World's Semi-Arid Regions

Michael Bone has focused his work on seed collection and the study of steppe plants and ecology. Most of his fieldwork has been in western North America, but he has traveled to Central Asia to study plants from the steppes and mountains there.Dan Johnson travels throughout the West and Southwest in search of unusual and underused native plants for trial in Colorado’s semi-arid steppe climate. His forays to similar regions of the world help further broaden the palette of plants suitable for western gardens. Panayoti Kelaidis represents Denver Botanic Gardens in educational, professional, and promotional endeavors as an expert in horticulture, science, and art. He has traveled to South Africa on seven occasions over the last twenty years. He is the recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s 2009 Liberty Hyde Bailey Medal and the 2000 Arthur Hoyt Scott Medal from Swarthmore College.Mike Kintgen oversees the Alpine Collections at Denver Botanic Gardens including the Rock Alpine Garden and South African Plaza. He has traveled widely both researching and lecturing internationally on Denver Botanic Gardens and its focus on semi-arid steppe and high-elevation floras of the world.Larry G. Vickerman manages the 700-acre Chatfield site for Denver Botanic Gardens, which features a working farm, historic buildings, native plant gardens, and habitat restorations. He spent 10 years managing a botanical garden in the Great Plains propagating and growing the indigenous plants for introduction into the horticultural industry. A self-described prairie enthusiast, he recently visited mountain and desert steppe environments in Mongolia.Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens began in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Gardens’ living collections encompass specimens from the tropics to the tundra, showcasing a plant palette chosen to thrive in Colorado’s semiarid climate. The Gardens offer world-class art exhibitions, education programs, and important plant conservation and research initiatives. For more information, visit botanicgardens.org.