Memorial University Botanical Garden

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Canada - Newfoundland - St. John‘s

Institution Code: NFLD

BGCI Member: Yes

One of several rock garden's
One of several rock garden's

About the Memorial University Botanical Garden

MUN Botanical Garden is an informal botanical garden located in a boreal forest setting. We have about 1800 taxa in our collection. We have several focus gardens including rock gardens, crevice garden, limestone scree dedicated to native arctic-alpines, cottage garden, vegetable garden, heritage garden, pollinator garden, perennial border, alpine house, shade garden, peat garden, rhododendron garden, Asian garden and a plant trial garden where we display new varieties of plants being produced by Ball Floraplant and All America Selcetions.

Our main plant collections are Rhododendrons and other Ericaceae, alpines and native Newfoundland arctic-alpines. We are currently bulking up our collection of dwarf willows and Sorbus with the aim of becoming a National Collection within North America for these genera.

MUN Botanical Garden conservation efforts include the maintenance of ex situ population of three rare, endemic Newfoundland plants: Salix jejuna, Braya longii and Braya fernaldii. These plants are listed by COSEWIC. We have maintained an ex situ population of these plants for 10 years now (as of 2017). We have also collected braya seed in the past and sent them to the Canadian seed bank in Saskatchewan. Willow seed have short viability so we have no choice but to maintain living material. We have willow and braya from most of the known Newfoundland populations so our gene pool is as diverse as possible.

In 2012 we added four additional rare to endangered plants in Newfoundland to our ex situ program. These species are not rare worldwide, but are listed as provincially rare by the Newfoundland and Labrador Endangered Species Act. These include Hedysarum boreale subsp. mackenzii, Erysimum inconspicuum var. coarcticum, Symphyotrichum boreale and Braya humilis. As additional plants are listed by the Newfoundland and Labrador Endangered Species Act they will be added to our ex situ program.

We are also the local hub for the Newfoundland and Labrador Invasive Alien Species (terrestrial) Council.

Main Address:
Memorial University Botanical Garden
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John‘s
Newfoundland A1C 5S7 Canada

Telephone: (709) 864-8590
Fax: (709) 864-8596
URL: www.mun.ca/botgarden/
Primary Email: garden@mun.ca

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Kim Shipp
    Curator's Name:
    Plant Records Officer's Name: Todd Boland
  • Total Staff:
    Horticultural Staff Number: 4
    Educational Staff Number: 2
    Research Staff Number: 3
    Administration Staff Number: 4

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Educational: Yes
  • Date founded: 1971
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: Yes
    Natural vegetation area: Size: 37 Hectares
  • Landscaped Area: Yes
    Landscaped Area: Size: 7 Hectares
  • Total Area: 44 Hectares
    Latitude: 47.57155
    Longitude: -52.75896
    Annual Rainfall: 1600 mm
    Altitude: 134.00 Metres
    Total area of glasshouses: 200 Metres
  • Locality: Information
  • Locality: Garden Name: Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden
  • Local Address: Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden, Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
  • Locality: City: St. John's
  • Locality: State: Newfoundland & Labrador

Features and Facilities

  • Herbarium: No
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: No
    Seed Bank: Yes
    Published Plant Catalogue: No
    Computer Plant Record System: Yes
  • Open to public: Yes
    Friends society: Yes
    Retail Outlet: Shop: Yes
    Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: Yes
    Disabled access: Yes
  • Number of Visitors: 25000
    Number of Volunteers: 60

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 2800
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 1950
  • Special Collections:Main focus group in our collections are Rhododendron,Sorbus, Ericaceae, ferns, native Newfoundland arctic-alpines and alpines in general.
  • Invasive Species Monitoring: Yes
    Invasive Species Policy: Yes
    Plant Collection Policy: Yes

Conservation Programmes

  • Conservation Programme: Yes
    Medicinal Plant Programme: Yes
    Ex Situ Conservation Programme: Yes
    Reintroduction Programme: No

Research Programmes

  • Biotechnology: No
    Plant Breeding: Yes
    Conservation - Biology: Yes
    Conservation - Genetics: No
    Data Management Systems and Information Technology: No
    Ecology: No
    Ecosystem Conservation: No
    Education: Yes
    Ethnobotany: No
    Exploration: Yes
    Floristics: Yes
    Horticulture: Yes
    Invasive Species Biology and Control: Yes
    Molecular Genetics: No
    Pollination Biology: Yes
    Restoration Ecology: Yes
    Seed/Spore Biology: No
    Systematics and Taxonomy: Yes
    Sustainability: No
    Pharmacology: No
    Agriculture: No
    Land Restoration: Yes
    Urban Environments: No

Education Programmes

  • Visitor/Education Centre: Yes
    Education Signs in Garden: Yes
    Public Lectures/Talks: Yes
    Education Booklets/Leaflets: Yes
    Guided Tours: Yes
    Permanent Public Displays: Yes
    Special Exhibitions: Yes
    Courses for School Children: Yes
    Courses for University/College Students: Yes
    Courses for General Public: Yes
    Education Programme: Yes