The rooftop botany greenhouse is a small tropical garden in the middle of UBC; it is a place for learning and pursuing research questions. Our greenhouse staff has three main functions. The first and most important is to provide the plant materials that are used in the Botany undergraduate lab courses. This requires propagating annuals and caring for the perennials in the greenhouse. Through time, this has allowed us to establish a small but important permanent collection of tropical plants from all over the world. Keeping the collection in healthy conditions is our second main task. Currently, the collection is only open for teaching purposes, so if you are an instructor or a group of students enrolled in biology/ecology related program in UBC (i.e. biology, forestry, land and food systems) and would like to meet the collection, feel free to contact us to arrange a visit.
Our third function is research support. The greenhouse has a small section where researchers can grow plants for research purposes. However, the availability of that space depends on the demand for plants required for the undergraduate courses that are taking place. Usually, throughout spring and summer the space is almost completely occupied by the courses’ plant materials and the permanent collection. Though, we encourage you to contact us and inquire about space availability at any time.
Additionally, the greenhouse staff also maintains the Western Medicine Garden at the UBC Farm. The garden was established and designed by professor Shona Ellis and has a wide range of plants that are used for medicinal purposes from all over the world.
