Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The 2010 meeting of the SERA-IEG 27 was held June 9-11 in Tifton, GA. Official representatives present were: Patricia Knight (Administrative Advisor, Mississippi State University), Regina Bracy (Administrative Advisor, Louisiana State University), John Ruter (University of Georgia), Alex X. Niemiera (Va. Tech), Win Dunwell (University Kentucky), Todd West (West Virginia University), Allen Owings (LSU), Ed Bush (LSU), Gene Blythe (Mississippi State University), Gary Knox (University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center), and Anthony V. LeBude (NC State University, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center). Guest present was Matthew Chappell (University of Georgia). States not represented were Alabama, Arkansas, Maryland, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, USDA, and the US National Arboretum. It was concluded that data are still not being uploaded to the website. It was reiterated that the responsibility of data gathering falls to the person who introduced and distributed the plant to the group members. Data must be on paper and on the website. Currently Win Dunwell is serving to identify SERA 27-evaluated plants that have become mainstream and he will redouble his efforts to determine these plants. Alex X. Niemiera will reintroduce Parrotia Jennifer Teats and Win Dunwell will reintroduce Hypericum Blue Velvet after both members propagate the cultivars. Win was excited about H. olympicum best as a groundcover and he will resend the evaluation sheet for it. Win Dunwell distributed Arisaema dracontium (green dragon). Motion passed to accept a landscape-type selection of rhizomatous peanut, Arachis glabrata Ecoturf as an informal plant for observation introduced by Gary Knox (FL). Gene Blythe presented Tagetes nelsonii, citrus scented marigold, Mayan marigold, Nelsons marigold, Chik chawa and it was accepted for distribution. The officers as elected for 2010-2011 are Anthony LeBude as President, Todd West as Secretary, and Gene Blythe as Board Member. Ed Bush continues to chair the Plant Evalaution Committee. Future meeting sites are Athens, GA in 2011, West Virginia 2012, and Asheville, NC 2013.