Tiffany Enzenbacher, Head of Plant Production

I was exposed to the world of plants and greenhouses at a young age – my great grandfather started Pesche’s Greenhouse in 1924 in Des Plaines, IL, which continues to be managed by my extended family. Prior to joining the Arnold Arboretum in 2014, I interned at the Chicago Botanic Garden in their native plant, home landscape, herb, and aquatic gardens. After graduating with a BS in plant sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia, I worked as the senior grower at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL for five years. I returned to academia in 2009 to pursue a graduate degree in plant pathology at Michigan State University to become more proficient in plant disease management. Research experiences following my graduate work include serving in the Department of Plant Pathology at the Pennsylvania State University; working as a research assistant at GardenGenetics LLC, a plant breeding company in central Pennsylvania; and serving as a research technician in the Department of Biology at Boston College.

As the manager of plant production, I work alongside the Arboretum’s plant propagator and greenhouse horticulturist to produce the next generation of accessions destined for the permanent collections, as well as to ensure the long-term survival of existing lineages through repropagation techniques, including cuttings and grafting. Our department also shares propagules with partner institutions and distributes plant material for research purposes. Additionally, we work to produce plants for Arboretum events, such as the Arbor Day Seedling Mailing and Lilac Sunday. I am involved in projects throughout the organization, including plant collection expeditions for the Campaign for the Living Collections.

I am most grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of the rich history of plant propagation and production at the Arnold Arboretum.