Finnish Museum of Natural History / Helsinki University Botanic Garden

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Finland - Helsinki

Institution Code: H

BGCI Member: Yes

The main glasshouse, dating from 1889, in the old collections in Kaisaniemi.
The main glasshouse, dating from 1889, in the old collections in Kaisaniemi.

About the Finnish Museum of Natural History / Helsinki University Botanic Garden

Helsinki University Botanic Garden is the oldest scientific garden in Finland. It was established in 1678 in Turku, and move to Helsinki in 1829. It is now part of the Finnish Museum of Natural History, which is an independent institution of the University of Helsinki, and also a national collection.

Main Address:
Finnish Museum of Natural History / Helsinki University Botanic Garden
P.O. Box 7
Unioninkatu 44
Helsinki
FI-00014 Finland

Telephone: +358 2 941 50041
Fax: +358 2 941 50033
URL: https://www.luomus.fi/en/botany-unit-0
Primary Email: hortus-botanicus@helsinki.fi

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Dr. Marko Hyvärinen
    Curator's Name: Dr. Henry Väre
    Plant Records Officer's Name: Dr Mikko Piirainen
  • Total Staff:
    Horticultural Staff Number: 7
    Educational Staff Number: 1
    Research Staff Number: 3
    Administration Staff Number: 2

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Private: No
    Status: State: Yes
    Status: Educational: Yes
    Status: Municipal: No
    Status: Satellite: No
    Status: Trust: No
  • Date founded: 1678
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: No
  • Landscaped Area: Yes
    Landscaped Area: Size: 11 Hectares
  • Total Area: 11 Hectares
    Latitude: 60.1833
    Longitude: 24.9500
    Annual Rainfall: 650 mm
    Altitude: 10.00 Metres
    Total area of glasshouses: 1353 Metres
  • Locality: Information
  • Locality: Garden Name: Helsingin yliopiston kasvitieteellinen puutarha
  • Local Address: PL 44 (Jyrängöntie 2), 00014 HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
  • Locality: City: Helsinki
  • Locality: State:

Features and Facilities

  • Herbarium: Yes
    Herbarium: Number of Specimens: 3100000
    Arboretum: Yes
    Arboretum Size: 7
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: No
    Seed Bank: Yes
    Published Plant Catalogue: Yes
    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: 50000
    Number of Volunteers: 10

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 8250
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 4400
  • Special Collections:Old collection in Kaisaniemi: systematic beds, systematically arranged woody plants collection, tropical and subtropical glasshouses. Specialities include wild African violets (Saintpaulia) and bananas (Musa).
    New collections in Kumpula: geobotanical collection only with wild-collected material of known origin from Europe, North America, the continental Far East, and Japan; ethnobotanical collection with economic plants and ornamentals.
  • ABS Policy: Yes
    Plant Collection Policy: Yes

Conservation Programmes

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

Research Programmes

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

Education Programmes

  • Visitor/Education Centre: No
    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: No
    Courses for University/College Students: Yes
    Courses for General Public: No
    Education Programme: Yes