Research
Plant materials are made available for research projects affiliated with universities and other research institutions all over the world. Each year the Garden provides plants or plant parts in support of dozens of projects. The documented wild origin of much of the collection is a great asset for phylogenetic studies.
Protocol for requesting research plant materials
If you wish to request plant material please fill out the request form and mail, fax (510-642-5045) or e-mail it to the Curator.
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 multi-site web search tool hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh that you can search for species in several garden collections simultaneously.
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. The Garden is also a popular setting for course projects. Past projects have included studying the territorial behavior western fence lizards and hummingbirds, as well as fecundity of the California newt. If you are a member of the UCB faculty, staff or a student enrolled at UCB, and wish to explore using Garden facilities to house research plants, please fill out the research facilities request form and send it to the Curator.
Seed Exchange Program
The University of California Botanical Garden is one of the largest and oldest botanical gardens in the United States. The garden’s well-documented collection occupies 13 hectares and includes more than 12,000 taxa representing 305 plant families. Specimens are arranged by continent of origin, with approximately four hectares devoted to California native plants
A primary purpose of the garden is to facilitate scientific research. In addition to circulating a biennial seed list, we welcome requests for research material at any time.