美国针叶树协会American Conifer Society – 运营全球访问量最大的针叶树在线数据库之一

美国针叶树协会（American Conifer Society，简称 ACS）是 1983 年成立的非营利行业组织，注册地为美国宾夕法尼亚州，以明尼苏达州圣保罗市为全国办事处，负责推动针叶树在园林与景观中的应用、教育与保育。协会按地理划分为东北、东南、中部、西部四个大区，出版《Conifer Quarterly》季刊并运营全球访问量最大的针叶树在线数据库之一。

协会沿革与组织架构

1982 年 10 月，Joel Spingarn 在纽约长岛家中召集十余位针叶树爱好者，决定成立一个以矮化与特殊针叶树为关注点的交流组织；1983 年 1 月 20 日在同址召开首次会议，Robert L. Fincham 当选首任主席（连任四届），Jean Iseli、Ed Rezek、James Cross、Peter Deltredici、Richard Bush、Ted Lockwood、Susan Frost Martin 与 William Schwarz 等共同组成首任董事会，并将组织定名为 American Conifer Society，明确”发展、保护与繁育针叶树，并以矮化与特色品种为重点，标准化命名并教育公众”为宗旨。协会在宾夕法尼亚州注册为 501(c)(3) 非营利机构，明尼苏达州圣保罗市的全国办事处由执行总监 Michelle L. Sok, CAE 主持，四个大区各自组织区域性活动并向总会派出理事代表。

出版物与公众教育

《Conifer Quarterly》是协会的正式季刊，承接 1983 年创刊的《American Conifer Society Bulletin》，内容覆盖新栽培品种介绍、命名规则、园艺养护与保育案例；协会还通过官网与社交平台持续发布针叶树识别、栽培与景观设计文章。面向园艺爱好者与学生，协会每年提供免费学生会员资格，鼓励林学、园艺、景观设计等专业的青年学者参与；并以 Jean Iseli 纪念奖、Reference Garden 资助以及 Conservation and Research Grant 等形式支持公共植物园与个人研究项目，其中 Jean Iseli 纪念奖每年 1500 美元，面向长期支持协会使命的机构与个人。

参考花园与针叶树数据库

协会建立的 ACS Reference Garden 参考花园项目要求合作植物园拥有不少于 30 株、跨 8 个属以上的针叶树收藏，并按规定向公众开放、维持准确铭牌与持续养护；项目已覆盖美国各区共数十家公共植物园，知名合作机构包括 Hidden Lake Gardens、Wellesley College Botanic Gardens、JC Raulston Arboretum 与 Oregon Garden 等。协会官网维护的针叶树在线数据库收录数千条记录，涵盖准确学名、原生境描述、形态特征与栽培品种来源，公众可提交照片与评论，由编辑审核后纳入公开条目；协会另设 Conifer Registration 与 Seed Exchange 项目，分别负责栽培品种国际登录与会员间的种子交换。

年会、奖项与社区参与

协会每年在四个大区轮流举办全国年会，并在各区组织区域性聚会、田野调查与栽培养护工作坊；2026 年全国年会于 6 月 25 至 27 日举行，会上发布周年纪念徽标服饰等周边。除 Jean Iseli 纪念奖外，协会另设有 NewBroom Award 等青年项目以培养未来针叶树推广者；会员可使用协会网站全部资源并获得合作苗圃与植物园的折扣，包括 Oregon Garden 等机构提供的年度收藏家计划（Collector Conifer of the Year）品种。

官网: https://www2.conifersociety.org/

The American Conifer Society (ACS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in Pennsylvania, with its National Office in Saint Paul, Minnesota, dedicated to promoting the use, conservation, and propagation of conifers in gardens and landscapes. The Society operates through four geographic regions — Northeastern, Southeastern, Central, and Western — and publishes the Conifer Quarterly, while maintaining one of the most comprehensive conifer databases on the public web.

History and Governance

In October 1982, Joel Spingarn hosted a gathering at his Long Island home where enthusiasts agreed to form a society focused on dwarf and unusual conifers; on 20 January 1983 the inaugural meeting was held at the same location, and Robert L. Fincham was elected the first President (serving four consecutive terms), joined on the original Board of Directors by Jean Iseli, Ed Rezek, James Cross, Peter Deltredici, Richard Bush, Ted Lockwood, Susan Frost Martin, and William Schwarz. The organization was formally named the American Conifer Society with the stated purpose of the development, conservation, and propagation of conifers, with an emphasis on those that are dwarf or unusual, the standardization of nomenclature, and the education of the public. The National Office in Saint Paul, Minnesota is led by Executive Director Michelle L. Sok, CAE, and each of the four regions elects representatives to the Board of Directors.

Publications and Public Education

The Conifer Quarterly is the Society’s flagship journal, succeeding the 1983 American Conifer Society Bulletin, and features articles on cultivar introductions, nomenclature, horticultural practice, and conservation case studies. The Society maintains a continuous flow of educational content on its website and social channels covering identification, cultivation, and landscape design with conifers. Free Student Memberships are offered annually to encourage participation by students enrolled full-time in horticulture, forestry, and landscape architecture programs, and grants such as the Jean Iseli Memorial Award (USD 1,500 per year), Reference Garden Grants, and Conservation and Research Grants support public gardens and individual researchers.

Reference Gardens and the Conifer Database

The ACS Reference Garden program designates partner public gardens that meet defined criteria — a minimum of 30 conifer specimens representing at least eight genera, accurate labeling, ongoing maintenance, and regular public access — and now includes several dozen institutions across the four regions, including Hidden Lake Gardens, Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, the JC Raulston Arboretum, and Oregon Garden. The Society’s online conifer database hosts thousands of records with accurate scientific nomenclature, native habitat descriptions, morphological detail, and cultivar provenance, and accepts public photo submissions and comments that editors review and may incorporate. Complementary programs include Conifer Registration for international cultivar registration and a Seed Exchange for members.

Annual Meeting, Awards, and Community

The Society hosts a National Meeting each year, rotated among the four regions, together with regional gatherings, field study trips, and cultivation workshops; the 2026 National Meeting was held on 25–27 June 2026 with anniversary-branded apparel and merchandise released to mark the occasion. In addition to the Jean Iseli Memorial Award, the Society supports emerging leaders through programs such as the NewBroom Award and offers members full access to Society resources, partner nursery and garden discounts, and participation in the annual Collector Conifer of the Year program with cooperating institutions such as Oregon Garden.

Official Site: https://www2.conifersociety.org/