Rebuilding the cacti collection

Project Status: Completed 2025

Funded by: The Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve via the Global Botanic Garden Fund

Project Partner: Jardín Botánico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires “Carlos Thays”

Introduction

The Botanic Garden of Buenos Aires “Carlos Thays” is an 8-hectare public arboretum managed by the city, located in the center of Buenos Aires. It contains around 1,100 species and 3,500 specimens from 150 families but the cacti scientific collection has been neglected for a long period, due to lack of budget and appropriate knowledge.

Project Goals

This project aimed to strengthen the ex situ conservation of Cactaceae species by expanding and enriching the garden’s scientific cactus collection and improving the collection conditions.

Key Achievements

At the start of the project, the cactus collection contained about 200–300 plants with little secure identification or documentation. A detailed taxonomic review was carried out of every species in the collection, which has resulted accurate identification and better record-keeping.

A new labelling system was also implemented, including the addition of QR codes which link to detailed plant information and photos.

The infrastructure inside the cacti greenhouse was modified to improve air movement and light, to improve the health of the plants. This was decided based on the climatic models expected and to ensure the plants can be well managed in the future.

The cacti collection has expanded with new specimens—some representing new species for the collection—donated by partner institutions and nurseries. Ongoing donations are expected to further strengthen the collection in the coming years.