Holden Forests & Gardens is one of eight institutional partners in the North American China Plant Exchange Consortium (NACPEC). Since its founding, NACPEC has worked to expand the genetic diversity of cultivated plants by improving traits such as cold hardiness, adaptability, and disease resistance, while also conserving rare species and selecting ornamental varieties. Seeds, cuttings, plants, or herbarium specimens collected during fieldwork are shared among partner institutions to support research and conservation.