Research
A Living Laboratory
From genetics to biophysics to environmental engineering, modern science actively engages with the botanical world—today more than ever, access to living plants is essential for many research disciplines. Since the Garden’s founding more than 130 years ago, we’ve been tracking information about our plant collections and making this data available to scholarly and scientific researchers.
Our plant materials are available for research projects affiliated with universities and other research institutions all over the world, and we provide almost unrivaled access to plants with wild provenance, including plants that may no longer exist in the wild today. The documented wild origin of much of our collection is a great asset for studying the evolution of plants.
The use of the collections by researchers at UC Berkeley and across the globe includes provision of fresh or dried plant material and/or data for a variety of purposes. A unique aspect of plant sampling in a botanical research collection is that researchers can visit year-round to sample as needed for leaves, flowers, and seeds to serve their projects.
The Garden is also a popular setting for course projects. Past projects include studying the territorial behavior of western fence lizards and hummingbirds, as well as fecundity of the California newt. The Garden has been included in many research publications. Browse a complete listing of publications that acknowledge support of the collections or facilities. Below we feature just a few examples of research publications that depended fully, or at least in part, on the Garden’s collections.
Featured Research Publications
New Phytologist, June 2024
Negative allometry of leaf xylem conduit diameter and double-wall thickness: implications for implosion safety
Authors: Ilaine Silveira Matos, Samantha McDonough, Breanna Carrillo Johnson, Diana Kalantar, James Rohde, Roshni Sahu, Joyce Wang, Adrian Fontao, Jason To, Sonoma Carlos, Lisa Garcia, Mickey Boakye , Holly Forbes and Benjamin Wong Blonder.
HortScience, March 2022
Genome Sizes, Ploidy Levels, and Base Compositions of Styrax Species and Cultivars
Authors: Matthew S. Lobdell and Kimberly Sheare
Evolution 2024
The rapid radiation of Bomarea (Alstroemeriaceae: Liliales), driven by the rise of the Andes
Authors: Carrie M. Tribble, Fernando Alzate-Guarín, Etelvina Gándara, Araz Vartoumian, John Gordon Burleigh, Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Chelsea D. Specht, Carl J. Rothfels.
Cover image © Dr. Tsuyoshi Ito
How to Use the Collection
A primary purpose of the Garden is to facilitate scientific research. We welcome requests for research material.
Protocol for requesting research plant material
To all interested researchers (you do not have to be associated with UC Berkeley): If you wish to request plant material please download and complete the request form and e-mail to Curator and Conservation Officer Clare Loughran, loughran@berkeley.edu.
If the species you need are not in the Garden collection, you may contact the curator for suggestions for other sources. In addition, there is a web search tool hosted by BGCI Plant Search that you can search for species in garden collections around the world.
Protocol for requesting educational use plant material
UC Berkeley and other college and university instructors: If you wish to request plant material please download and complete the class use request form and e-mail to Curator and Conservation Officer Clare Loughran, loughran@berkeley.edu.
Research Facilities (UC Berkeley only)
In addition to providing plant materials for use elsewhere, the Garden has limited greenhouse and in-ground facilities to house research plants. If you are a member of the UC Berkeley faculty, staff or a student enrolled at UC Berkeley faculty, and wish to explore using Garden facilities to house research plants, please download and complete the form and e-mail to Curator and Conservation Officer Clare Loughran, loughran@berkeley.edu.
Seed Exchange Program
The Garden produces occasional seed exchange offerings of wild-collected California native species. Inquiries about this program please contact Curator and Conservation Officer Clare Loughran, loughran@berkeley.edu.
Professor Ana Almeida of California State University East Bay with lab members Weilun Tan and Bharti Parihar sample rare California plants for genetic studies.
Banner: Darwin barberry (Berberis darwinii) by Saxon Holt