Botantical Collections – What's the Diff?

We throw around some botanical terms pretty freely here at Eden By The Bay—botanical garden, conservatory, arboretum, herbarium—but what is the difference really? The terms all convey a plant collection of some type, and we know generally what they mean. But let's take a closer look at the differences.

Entrance to the botanical garden at University of California, Berkeley

Type	Description
Botanical garden	A garden dedicated to the collection, cultivation and display of live plants labeled with their botanical names. They may be displayed in a variety of ways – aesthetically, thematically, or regionally. Botanical gardens are frequently open to the public, and may periodically sell plants from their collections. Early botanical gardens consisted of healing plants, but later expanded to all types of plants.
Conservatory	A greenhouse or structure in which plants are arranged for display or cultivation. The walls and ceiling are typically made of glass or similar material, and temperature and humidity can be controlled. A conservatory is ideal for tender plants that need protection, or require special environmental conditions.
Arboretum	A place or park where an extensive variety of trees, shrubs, and woody plants are cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes. They are a specialized botanical garden.
Herbarium	A repository of dried, pressed plant specimens that are labeled and arranged for access and archival storage. The label includes useful information about the plant and its origin. The archival storage is typically climate controlled to ensure preservation. Physical access may be limited to students or scholars, but some herbarium collections are available online.

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I will probably continue to use the term “botanical garden” a bit loosely, but it is good to know the more precise term when necessary.