College of Biological Sciences Conservatory & Botanical Collection 

About

The College of Biological Sciences Conservatory and Botanical Collection is a diverse collection of plants from around the world. Our living collection is among the most diverse in the Upper Midwest: with over 1,600 unique taxa, we care for everything from rare and endangered plants, to invasive species, to plants with developing economic potential. We leverage our rich collection to serve university courses, researchers and the surrounding community.

There are six floristic regions in the world: Paleotropical, Neotropical, South African, Australian, Antarctic, and Boreal. The Conservatory contains flora from all of these regions except Boreal (the floristic region that includes Minnesota) and houses the most diverse collection of plants in the region. Every room contains plants from one or more floristic regions — areas defined by distinctive plant life.

The Conservatory is divided into four “biomes” with distinct climates and landscapes, from desert to rainforest. These biomes highlight biodiversity hot spots around the globe with a special emphasis on habitats in the Southern Hemisphere. Our arid biome features the only collection of Somali plants under glass in the world.

At this time, the Conservatory is open drop-in visitors from the University of Minnesota community only. Members of the public can request a guided or self-guided tour by contacting the Conservatory staff at [email protected]. There is currently no fee for visits, but donations are always welcome. Please note that greenhouse is part of a working teaching and research facility. As such, some hazards such as wet floors, open ponds, hard bench edges, and spiny or poisonous plants may be present.

Guided Tours and Student Groups
We offer guided tours for school groups with students over 3 years old, professional associations, garden clubs, and other organizations. Tours are limited to groups of 20 at a time. We ask for one adult chaperone per five students who are under 10 years old, and one chaperone per seven students 10-15 years old. We do not currently charge any fees for tours although donations are always appreciated. Note that the building is wheelchair accessible but the Conservatory has some uneven and tight areas to negotiate. Please notify us when scheduling if special arrangements are required, we are happy to make whatever accommodations we can. Please contact [email protected] to schedule a guided tour.

See our website for more information.