By definition, a botanic garden is a documented collection of living plants. Plant records form the backbone of the educational and scientific programs at the Chicago Botanic Garden. These records created by the Living Plant Documentation Department are important to visitors, students, gardeners, researchers and scientists. Within the Garden, they also support the use of the collections for breeding, conservation research and plant evaluation.

Records. A database of the1.9 million accessioned plants in the permanent collection contains information on each plant’s scientific name, common name, plant family, growth habit, origin and location. The Living Plant Documentation Department updates that information regularly. Accessioned plants are all those in the Garden’s permanent collection. Garden plants that are not accessioned include annual flowers, vegetables and temporary displays. The Garden’s records, which date back to its establishment in 1972, have been computerized since 1985.

Search our Plant Collections Database

Maps

The Living Plant Documentation Department maps the locations of all permanent woody plants in the Garden’s 532 planting beds. These maps are based on aerial surveys, with confirming inventories by staff.

Plant labels

For curatorial, scientific and educational purposes, the Chicago Botanic Garden provides an extensive system of display labels. Each label designates a plant by scientific name, common name and plant family, as well as either native origin or cultivar name. While aluminum labels identify plants in the permanent collection, temporary labels identify annuals, vegetables and other seasonal plants.

Highlights

At all times of year, lists of What’s in Bloom are readily available on this Web site. During the growing season, specimens of plants in flower are highlighted outside the Gateway Visitor Center to direct guests to plants of special interest that day. Master plant lists created by the Living Plant Documentation Department are available for viewing at the Plant Information Service, the Library and the Gateway Visitor Center Information Desk.