John Siemon is a Horticultural Scientist and the Director of Horticulture & Living Collections at Botanic Gardens of Sydney where he leads a passionate team of horticulturists responsible for projects across more than 730 hectares of public greenspace.
This includes the living collection, displays, and natural landscapes of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, The Domain, the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah, and the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
John’s interest in horticulture began at a young age, growing up in the leafy suburbs of Brisbane, where he was fascinated by the world around him, and how the tallest trees could grow from the smallest seed. He holds a Bachelor of Horticultural Science (Hons), and now with over 20 years of experience at the Gardens, John has become one of the nation’s leading horticultural experts.
John has an extensive background in research across a broad range of areas, including plant physiology, plant breeding, tissue culture, and germplasm conservation. His research has also varied across different horticultural and agricultural crops, from tomatoes to rice, and one of Australia's most popular exports, the macadamia.
One of John’s greatest achievements has been helping to establish the Australian PlantBank at Mount Annan, home to over 100 million Australian plant seeds. He was responsible for securing $19.8million funding which has helped transform the facility into a vital insurance policy against the extinction of native plants in the wild.
John has also worked on projects relating to threatened species and ecological communities and his team supports the curation of more than 12,000 species from across the globe, many rare, endangered or on the brink of extinction. He is also a passionate supporter of rooftop gardens and green technology due to their ongoing long-term benefits to the environment and the wider community.
As a leading expert in his field, John is committed to advancing the science of horticulture, preserving plant diversity, and sharing his knowledge with others.
