Botanical garden

Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of plants both for scientific purposes and for the enjoyment and education of visitors.

research

The scientific work done at botanical gardens includes studies of how to adapt exotic plants to grow in the locale of the garden; taxonomic studies; and the propagation of rare or endangered species of plant. Kew Gardens, near London, has been publishing a scientific journal of botanical research, illustrated in color, since the late 18th century.

educational work

Educational projects range from introductions to plants that thrive in different environments to practical advice for the home gardener. Many botanical gardens have plant shops, selling flowers, herbs, and vegetable seedlings suitable for transplantation. Some Botanical gardens such as the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research and the Chicago Botanical Garden have plant breeding programs and introduce new plants to the horticultural trade.

history

The first modern botanical gardens were founded in Northern Italy in connection with universities:

• Padua (1543 or 1544)
• Pisa (1545) by Luca Ghini (1490-1556)
• Bologna (1567)

Other European towns followed suit:

• Leiden, Netherlands (1577)
• Montpellier, France (1593)
• Heidelberg, Germany (1597)
• Tübingen, Germany by Leonhart Fuchs

See also: List of botanical gardens