Join world-renowned tropical plant and soil expert Lynn Griffith for an educational session on the science and chemistry behind plant nutrition.

The various disorders of aroids will be discussed, including nutrient disorders, insects, diseases and physiological disorders. The talk will illustrate these problems, discuss their causes, and recommend specific remedial options.

Lynn is an expert in the industry, as well as a hands-on consultant, and has been a star class speaker for many facets of the industry from Day Lilies to Palm Trees to farms or anything or anywhere you can think of. Throw a dart on the map of the world and he has probably been there. Awards don't exist for this unique amazing individual. Lynn is unparalleled in his profession and tirelessly and dedicatedly works to help everyone who needs it. We are here to improve and save the agricultural and horticultural communities across the world.

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Biological control agents (BCAs), such as predatory mites, predatory insects, parasitoid wasps, and entomopathogenic nematodes, are essential tools for sustainable pest management in tropical and ornamental plant production. This presentation will introduce the fundamentals of biological control, discuss how to select the appropriate natural enemies for common greenhouse and tropical plant pests, and examine the environmental, cultural, and chemical considerations that influence their establishment, compatibility, and long-term success. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for integrating biological control into their Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs to improve pest suppression, reduce pesticide inputs, and produce healthier, more resilient plants.

Anesia Jackson is a Technical Sales Representative with BioBee USA, specializing in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biological control across a wide range of agricultural systems, including tropical plants, ornamental crops, greenhouse production, food crops, organic agriculture, and cannabis cultivation. She earned her Master of Science in Entomology and Nematology and a Graduate Certificate in Landscape Pest Management from the University of Florida, where she focused on sustainable pest management in commercial horticulture. Anesia works closely with growers to develop biologically based pest management programs that improve crop quality while reducing reliance on conventional pesticides. She is passionate about bridging scientific research and practical crop production through education, collaboration, and practical Integrated Pest Management solutions.

In the world of Anthurium breeding, crossing species within the same section is relatively straightforward, but crossing between sections is where the magic happens. Uninspired by the next dark brown velvet Cardiolonchium cross, breeders quickly run into reproductive barriers, section incompatibilities, and low seed yields that turn ambitious cross sectional crosses into major challenges. Yet, when an intersectional cross does succeed, it unlocks incredible hybrid vigor and combines traits in the most unlikely of combinations.

Captain Aroid covers Anthurium cross sectional hybridization's history, science, and trial-and-error hands-on results: the successes, the dead ends, and what was learned along the way.

Jos Vanden Abeele, better known to the plant community as Captain Aroid, is a Belgian bio-engineer and breeder based in Ghent. His lifelong passion for plant cultivation began in his grandmother's garden and ultimately led him to graduate with a degree in agricultural bio-engineering from the University of Ghent. In May 2020, Jos founded his company, Best Buds, launching an adventurous path into collecting rare tropicals and advancing European aroid breeding. Today, under the brand name Captain Aroid, he focuses on hybridizing Anthurium, combining scientific precision with hands-on experimentation to create unique, novel cultivars. Driven by a desire to unite collectors and rebuild trust in the hobby, he co-founded Hortikult in 2024. He co-designed its flagship, Plant Provenance, a dedicated community app designed to connect plant enthusiasts, champion authentic plant history, and restore confidence to rare plant collecting.

South America holds more aroid species than any other continent, indeed likely more than Asia and Africa together, yet only six genera have been fully revised. These were Chlorospatha, Dracontium, Heteropsis (Lourdes Soares), Monstera (Mike Madison), Syngonium, Rhodospatha and Xanthosoma. With the exception of Heteropsis and Monstera, all were revised by Croat and collaborators.

The two large genera, Anthurium and Philodendron, are most seriously in need of a full revision, owing to their size, but some taxonomic work has taken place at the sectional level for both. Anthurium is a good candidate as the world's largest genus and consists of 20 sections, yet only Anthurium sect. Pachyneurium and sect. Semaeophyllium have been revised. Philodendron, the second largest genus, is even more poorly known, at least at the sectional level, with only Philodendron subgen. Meconostigma (Simon Mayo) and subgen. Macrobelium (Cassia Sakuragui) revised. Philodendron subgen. Pteromischum was mostly revised by Mike Grayum.

This presentation will also discuss the future work that needs to be done to bring the knowledge of South American aroids up to the level of those in Central America.

Thomas B. Croat, Ph.D., is the P.A. Schulze Curator of Botany at the Missouri Botanical Garden, where he leads the Latin America program. He earned his B.A. from Simpson College in 1962 and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1966 and 1967, and he serves as a Faculty Associate of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and as an Adjunct Associate Professor at both Saint Louis University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. His research covers the systematics, ecology and horticulture of Neotropical Araceae, the floristics of the family across the Neotropics, and the development of Lucid keys to the aroid genera.

His published work runs from 1972 to the present, spanning a career at the Garden that covers roughly the same years the International Aroid Plant Society, Inc. doing business as IAS, has existed. In that time Croat and his collaborators completed revisions of every aroid genus in Mexico and Central America, about 850 species in all, and described and published 1,700 new species. A further 1,800 new species have yet to be published, many of them in large revisions that are not yet completed. The monographs include Syngonium (1981), Anthurium of Mexico and Central America (1983 and 1986), Anthurium sect. Pachyneurium (1991), Philodendron subgen. Philodendron for Mexico and Central America (1997), Dracontium and Dieffenbachia (2004), and Chlorospatha (2015), with revisions of Monstera, Rhodospatha and Spathiphyllum published in 2024. In South America, the completed revisions of Chlorospatha, Dracontium, Syngonium, Rhodospatha and Xanthosoma are the work of Croat and his collaborators.

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Dana Washington is a plant educator, speaker, and the creator behind Leafy Diva, a social media brand followed by more than 300,000 plant enthusiasts across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote). Known for her practical approach to houseplant care, Dana has built a reputation for breaking down plant care into honest, accessible lessons that resonate with both beginners and experienced collectors.

Connecting indoor plants to their natural habitats, Dana also travels to the tropical regions where many popular houseplants originate. Through visits to rainforests, botanical institutions, and commercial growers, she gives her audience a closer look at the habitats these plants call home while encouraging a greater appreciation for the ecosystems that sustain them.

Join Dana Washington as she shares firsthand observations from the tropical growing regions where many of our favorite houseplants naturally thrive. Comparing tropical houseplants growing in their native habitats with the way we grow them indoors can change the way you think about everyday care, including how you support and display them.

Rather than recreating the rainforest in your living room or memorizing care tips, you’ll learn how to better understand the plants you already own, helping you make more informed decisions about how you grow them. You’ll leave with a fresh perspective and practical lessons you can immediately apply to your collection.

Bio and talk topic announced soon.

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