The U.S. Botanic Garden Plant Collection In support of its mission, the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) maintains an orderly, documented, labeled collection of living plants. The USBG Plant Collection includes all the plants that are used to fulfill the mission of the institution with the exception of those foliage and crop plants that are grown for the express purpose of leaving our premises (and care) for permanent or indefinite display elsewhere. Ideally, for every plant in the collection a programmatic purpose has been designated for which the plant is needed, and which justifies the investment of staff and material resources necessary for its acquisition and maintenance. It is expected that as programmatic needs change, the composition of the plant collection will reflect that evolution. Plants in support of the current needs of the institution may be categorized as follows: - Plants of historical significance or current institutional significance for the USBG (individuals or descendants from the Wilkes and Perry expeditions; commemorative gifts by foreign governments; descendants of plants of American historical significance)
- Plants appearing on approved permanent landscape planting plans for the Conservatory, National Garden, Bartholdi Park, and the Production Facility
- Plants listed for rotation into permanent exhibits in the Conservatory, National Garden, or Bartholdi Park
- Plants used in ongoing educational programming
- Plants needed to support future exhibits or educational programming and whose quality or relative unavailability in the commercial trade justifies inclusion in the permanent collections
- Orchid species and selected orchid cultivars
- Listed rare and endangered species received under the CITES repository agreement, through interagency transfer, or other means
- Medicinal plants whose quality or relative unavailability in the commercial trade justifies inclusion in the permanent collections
- Plants used for accent plants and horticultural propagation stock, including those obtained to trial for performance in local conditions
Summary of the Collection The U.S. Botanic Garden currently maintains about 26,000 plants. The plants are used for exhibition, study, and exchange with other institutions. The Garden's noteworthy collections include economic plants, medicinal plants, orchids, cacti and succulents, bromeliads, cycads, and ferns. The staff maintains extensive computerized records of the plants in the Garden's collections.
Questions about our holdings or inquiries about a specific taxon should be addressed to Kyle Wallick, Botanist, or through our email address usbg@aoc.gov
Collection Policies and Procedures The USBG has a Collections Manual that describes the policies and procedures governing the curation and maintenance of the plant collection. The manual is updated as needed to reflect changing technology and the changing programmatic needs of the USBG. A copy of the manual is available on request from the Public Programs Manager or by email.
The living collections of the U.S. Botanic Garden are the foundation of the institution. While individual plants are the building blocks of exhibits, the plant collection as a whole reflects our institutional history, supports programmatic goals, and helps shape the future.
In its current staff configuration, responsibility for documentation and development of the plant collection is shared. Gardeners under direction of the Supervisory Horticulturists care for plants, maintain tagging, promote accurate record keeping, and nominate plants for addition to the collection. The Plant Records section of the Public Programs Division is responsible for planning and implementing accurate record-keeping procedures, researching plant names, remaining current in plant systematics and taxonomy, and solving taxonomic identification problems. Responsibility for curatorial decisions governing the collection is exercised by the Executive Director and the Managers of the Horticulture and Public Programs Divisions, depending on the nature of the decision.
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