</p> Managing the environment versus managing people surely should be very different... or are they? Lately I have been challenged to make such an analogy and found it surprisingly compelling. Through the course of my 15 years studying invasive species biology and restoration ecology, as well as learning from the horticulturists here at Denver Botanic Gardens, I have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a bad plant... but that certainly there is plant "behavior" that we may deem harmful, such as when tamarisk trees dominate a riverbank to such an extent that nothing else can possibly grow.</p> Are tamarisk inherently "bad"? Of course not: they play an important role in their native ecosystems in Eurasia, and as it turns out, can also provide habitat for some birds and fulfill other ecosystem services in "invaded" ranges. That is, they can have both "good" and "bad" behavior. Which they do depends on the interaction of the tree with its environment. </p> Put tamarisk seeds in an area with lots of water where desirable native trees have been displaced through poor management or other causes, and they will dominate and further degrade the ecosystem through salt deposits and increased fire frequency. Alternatively, if the land is well managed and desirable species are doing well, tamarisk will not be invasive and individual trees can actually be a benefit to the overall ecosystem. </p> You may already see where this analogy is going.... I believe strongly that there is no such thing as an inherently "good" or "bad" person/employee/team member. However, any individual has the capacity to behave poorly and/or not contribute; it is up to an effective leader to make sure that A) the environment is managed well to promote "good" behavior and B) that the right people are in the right positions (i.e. they are doing jobs best suited to their skill sets and interests). </p> According to Jim Collins (of "From Good to Great"), one of the features of highly successful organizations and businesses is that they prioritize personnel decisions. This may be simple, but it certainly isn't easy. In the last couple years, we have seen Denver Botanic Gardens flourish in new and exciting ways; it is certainly a testament to this principle. Every new hire here thrills me because I know that the environment here promotes excellence, and that we work hard to put the right people into the right positions. We will be losing one of our finest leaders soon; Betsy Cheroutes, director of development ,is beginning a much deserved retirement. I have learned much about leadership from her and will dearly miss being able to pop in her office for a quick bit of advice. However, I know to anticipate great things from her successor in this positive environment. The tamarisk trees taught me that.</p> This blog post was written by Anna Sher, Ph.D.</em>, adjunct researcher and former director of the Research & Conservation Department at Denver Botanic Gardens.</em></p>
This time of year, while rather bleak and cold outside, really gets me excited for what's growing on in the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. As I was watering this morning, I could not take my eyes off of the absolutely beautiful Brownea ariza</em>. The big, bold, red flowers always seem to slow time down for a few minutes and remind me of how much beauty really exists in my "office." Brownea</em> is a member of the large Fabaceae, or bean, family. The genus itself is not a particularly large genus, with about 30 species. Brownea ariza</em> is a smaller tree, and sometimes can take on the form of a large shrub. All members of the genus are native to Tropical South America. Brownea</em>, as well as many other members of the family, put forth new leaves in a very interesting and unique way. The young, tender leaves emerge looking rotten or diseased and as the leaves mature, they grow into their "normal" state, this most likely occurs to prevent predation upon the new growth. Brownea ariza</em> also exhibits cauliflory, which means that the plant flowers and fruits from its main woody stems or trunk rather than from new growth. A few other famous cauliflorous plants are: Theobroma cacao</em> or chocolate, Callistemon</em> or bottlebrush, and Cercis</em> or redbuds. Because of the cauliflorous flowering habit, the large flowers are very hard to miss. It's right around this time every year that our Brownea</em> really starts to push out many blooms, and this year is no exception. The plant is packed with them right now with quite a few of them right around eye-level. The flowers, unfortunately, only last a couple of days, so be sure to come in and enjoy them while they're here in force. The Brownea ariza</em> is located just to the left of the fork in the path after entering the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory through the main doors, you can't miss it. (And of course, keep an eye out for all of the gorgeous blooming bromeliads!) There are two good vantage points for enjoying the Brownea ariza</em>, one being directly in front of the tree from ground level, the other being from the balcony just above the main entrance to the conservatory near the Green Roof Exhibit. I also feel obligated to point out that the newly planted Brugmansia sanguinea</em> has a few buds, so check that out while you're here too! Hopefully I'll see you soon, as you absolutely don't want to miss this fantastic display of winter color in the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory.</p>
