New England Wild Flower Society is a founding member and active participant in the Center for Plant Conservation. Comprising botanic gardens, arboreta, universities, land management agencies, and conservation organizations from across the United States, the CPC works to save plants from extinction. Through its National Collection of Endangered Plants, the CPC maintains a safeguard against extinction in the wild. Participating organizations house live materials, carefully collected from nature as seed, rooted cuttings, tissue culture, or mature plants.

The Wild Flower Society is actively involved in conservation activities for 23 rare plant species endowed through the CPC program. Many of these species are now represented in the Society's Seed Bank and specimens can be found at Garden in the Woods.