Rate My Professor Mark Brand

Mark Brand serves as Professor of Horticulture and Plant Breeding and Nursery Extension Specialist in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Connecticut. He earned a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from Cornell University in 1982, followed by an M.S. in Ornamental Horticulture in 1985 and a Ph.D. in Ornamental Horticulture in 1988, both from The Ohio State University. His research focuses on woody landscape plants and nursery crops, ornamental plant breeding, Aroniaberry fruit production, and industrial hemp. Brand’s breeding program has developed numerous sustainable ornamental cultivars addressing issues such as invasiveness, pollinator support, compact growth, and stress tolerance, resulting in 33 new plant introductions, 27 licensed plants, 33 royalty-generating cultivars, 16 plant patents, and three registered trademarks, including the NativeStar® series. These plants have been licensed by major programs such as Proven Winners and Monrovia. He teaches courses including Woody Plants: Common Trees, Shrubs and Vines and Plant Propagation. Brand has received several honors, including the University of Connecticut Agriculture and Natural Resources Excellence in Research Award in 2014, the Mehlquist Award from the Connecticut Horticultural Society in 2016, election to the National Academy of Inventors in 2017, the Leslie J. Mehrhoff Award in 2018, and Fellowship in the IPPS Eastern Region in 2018. His work has contributed to advancements in plant breeding techniques such as ploidy manipulation and interspecific hybridization, with applications in both ornamental horticulture and emerging crops like Aroniaberry and industrial hemp.

Throughout his career at UConn, Brand has maintained an active extension role supporting the nursery industry while conducting applied research that translates directly into commercial plant releases and improved production practices. His laboratory continues to accept graduate students and focuses on developing new germplasm for Pieris, Clethra, shrub dogwoods, yellow rhododendrons, and native shrubs, alongside optimization of micropropagation and ploidy breeding for industrial hemp. Brand’s contributions emphasize sustainable landscape solutions and nutraceutical fruit crops, supporting both environmental goals and economic opportunities in horticulture.