Written by: Dustin Chandler, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University horticulture researcher Guochen Yang, Ph.D., has spent four decades promoting better health, better crops and instructing the next generation of horticultural scientists. Now, he has achieved “legendary” status, according to his peers.
Yang, a professor in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design, has been named a 2025 horticultural legend, or “HortLegend,”by the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS),a top organization within the profession.
As part of his recognition, Yang, who joined the ASHS in 1988, will take part in a video interview for the organization reflecting on his career as part of its annual conference at the end of July.
“For anybody to be recognized by their society or their respective organization means a lot,” said Yang. “I – and the other recognized members in ASHS – have spent our lifetimes educating and developing future generations of horticulture professionals.”
Yang specializes in plant tissue culture, or “micropropagation,” and his discoveries in that area have led to two patents for growing Alexandrian laurel, an evergreen ornamental plant. For the past 10 years, he has focused on producing ginger as a potential agricultural commodity for North Carolina farmers.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Professor Guochen Yang works with his Ph.D. students Julia Robinson, left, and Will Lashley on ginger micropropagation in his lab. Yang has researched ways to grow ginger, a tropical crop, in North Carolina for 10 years. He also holds two patents related to another project. Credit: North Carolina A&T State University
“Young ginger, which is almost exclusively produced in Hawaii, can bring more than $15 a pound, conservatively, and each plant easily has the potential to generate one to two pounds of ginger root,” he said. “Using tissue-culture propagation, we can produce thousands of plants at once here in North Carolina. After they have factored out expenses, our farmers can make a lot of money.”
Yang’s upbringing in rural China offered him an early exposure to horticulture and its societal benefits both financial and biological.
“I was born and grew up in the country, so agriculture has always been in my blood, my DNA,” he said. “I just really wanted to help myself, my society and the people around me by learning how we can produce better quality crops, better selection of food and, hopefully, promote better health.”
Yang received his bachelor’s degree in horticulture at Jilin Agricultural University in China and his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He joined CAES in 1994, and serves as the graduate program coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Design. Among his students are Ph.D. scholars and research assistants William Lashley, Julia Robinson and Daniel Tetteh.
“I am excited about the future, for horticulture overall,” said Yang. “My biggest rewarding area is working with young professionals like Will, Julia, Daniel, (and former students and current colleagues) Dr. Trequan McGee and Dr. Hannah Talton. They are the future generations of the science of horticulture.
“I hope that my recognition will have some kind of inspirational role for the younger generation to look at and say, ‘I’m doing something good for the general public.’”
Established in 1903, ASHS is recognized around the world as one of the most respected and influential professional societies for horticultural scientists. Comprised of thousands of members worldwide, it represents a broad cross-section of the horticultural community, including scientists, educators, students, landscape and turf managers, government, Extension agents and industry professionals.
The post Patent-winning A&T Horticulturalist Named 2025 ‘HortLegend’ first appeared in the North Carolina A&T State University Aggie Newsroom.
About North Carolina A&T State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation’s largest historically Black university, as well one of the top 25 “Most Innovative” universities in America (U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2024). North Carolina A&T is a land-grant, doctoral research university and a constituent member of the University of North Carolina System. A&T is widely recognized for its leadership in producing graduates in engineering, agriculture and other STEM fields. The university was established in 1891 and is located in Greensboro, North Carolina.
