The Plant Collections Department acquires, documents and studies all of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s permanent plants and their associated environments.

This department oversees the acquisition of plants and seeds for the Garden’s extensive living plant collections, which increase on average by 100,000 plants annually. New plants are acquired from commercial nurseries, arboreta, botanic gardens, plant breeding programs and collecting expeditions. Because of its unique site incorporating landscape gardens, native habitat areas and lakes, the Garden is able to curate terrestrial and aquatic plants found in similar climates around the world.

Plant Exploration

Since 1984, Garden curators and scientists have made plant collecting trips to the Republic of Georgia, Russia, South Korea, China, England and Wales, Hungary, Japan, Germany, the lower Piedmont area of the southeastern United States, southern Illinois and local areas to acquire optimal germplasm.

Seeds and plants are accepted only if their provenance is known and documented and only if they have been collected and imported legally. Plants that have the potential for invasiveness, genetic pollution or introducing pests or diseases are carefully screened or evaluated by the Plant Evaluation Program before acceptance.

Conservation and Study

In a multidisciplinary team environment, the Garden’s professional staff work together to evaluate, plan and conduct research that enhances the collections. In turn, the plant collections form the basis for educational programs, ranging from symposia to lectures, books to plant sales.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is one of 61 Plant Rescue Centers for the U. S. Department of the Interior. The Garden is a refuge for plants illegally imported and in violation of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Specialty Collections

In addition to the general collections, specialty collections offer depth and breadth within 19 selected genera.

• Specialty collections are important nationally because of their scope.
• Secondary collections have special regional significance because they exhibit depth within taxa broadly adapted to conditions in the Midwestern United States.
  
  

  Plant Collections Home Page
  
  Plant Collections Department | Specialty Plant Collections | Quick Facts
  Aquatics | Perennial Plants | Woody Plants | Bonsai
  Living Plant Documentation | Collections Staff
  Collections Symposia & Internships
  Collections Database