At their cores, botanical gardens are living museums. And just as other museums maintain and display various collections of objects, botanical gardens curate collections of plants. Some of the most common reasons for developing plant collections are for educational purposes, to preserve germplasm, to demonstrate proper usage in the landscape and to conduct research. Common characteristics of plants bind all collections together, including those with shared geographic origins, taxonomic relationships, cultural significance, economic importance and historical occurrence.
Our collection focuses on plants that perform well in the southeastern United States, and more specifically, those that thrive in eastern South Carolina. Of this broad group, our collections of southern heritage plants and South Carolina native plants achieve the greatest quality and depth. Those that are the top performers in our garden are promoted and distributed. We are continually acquiring new plants through nurseries, field collecting trips and plant sharing with other gardens.