The Glasshouses

The Glasshouses

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is home to some of the world’s rarest and most threatened plants, with a third of the collection growing in the Glasshouses.   Safeguarding the future To safeguard this globally important plant collection, the…

Treasures Under Glass

Treasures Under Glass

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has a world leading collection of plants, with a third of the collection - over 45,000 plants - growing in the Glasshouses. Watch the short film below to discover more about our precious collection of conservation…

Rhododendrons: a Unique Collection

Rhododendrons - a Unique Collection

Rhododendrons are at the heart of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Watch the short film below to see how our world leading Rhododendron collection is used for science, conservation and education.

Growing on

Growing on

Knowledge and Skills Transfer

Knowledge and Skills Transfer

The conservation and sustainable use of natural resources relies on well-informed decision makers, effectively-trained practitioners, and wide public understanding of environmental challenges and solutions. Major skills gaps currently exist in…

PhD students at RBGE

Students

Biodiversity Conservation

Conservation

Large-scale global change and direct human pressures on the natural environment are leading to extensive biodiversity loss with major impacts on society. Forty per cent of plant species are now threatened with extinction, including important wild…

Digitisation

Digitisation

Our specimen data and images can be downloaded for free from the online catalogue, including full resolution TIFFs of specimens. All specimen images and data have a CC-0 licence. We have now completed the digitisation of all type specimens, plus…

Bryophytes

Bryophytes

Bryophytes are the oldest land plants on earth, and have been around for 400 million years or more. Although small, they can be very conspicuous growing as extensive mats in woodland, as cushions on walls, rocks and tree trunks, and as pioneer…

Library and Archives

Library and Archives

We welcome visits from all researchers including visiting academics, artists, students and members of the public. Please see the Visit the Library pages to find out more and to book an appointment.  The Library and Archives will be closed…