SAT-C11: When Specs Meet Reality: Partnering with Nursery Growers for Successful Planting Design

Saturday, October 11, 2025

3:45 PM - 5:00 PM CT

Location: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 243-245

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, ISA, NY/HSW, FL

Speaker(s)

Leah Kahler

Research Assistant Professor, NASEM Gulf Coast Climate Futures Project
Tulane University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jehane Samaha, MSc

National Urban Nursery Specialist
USDA Forest Service
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Megan Higgins Palomo

Heritage Nursery Director
Tree Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Have you ever wondered why your plant selections are difficult to source? Curious about what decisions, work, and landscapes go into a plant before it arrives on the job site? This session explores potential for partnerships with the plant nursery trade and identifies alternative approaches to bridge design and horticulture.

Learning Outcomes:

Discover the diverse pathways that plants take before coming to market.
Probe the ecological, geographic, and energy emissions implications of the industrial horticulture model.
Expand tools for plant selection through partnership with nursery professionals.
Identifying the growing nonprofit nursery market.