United States Botanic Garden

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United States Botanic Garden

The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is a botanic garden

Botanic garden

Botanic garden may refer to:*Botanical garden, a formal garden, often containing interesting rare and unusual plants and planting arrangements, open to the public...
on the grounds of the United States Capitol

United States Capitol

The United States Capitol serves as the seat of government for the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States....
in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
, near Garfield Circle

Garfield Circle

Garfield Circle is a traffic circle at the intersection of Maryland Avenue and First Street in Southwest Washington, D.C. The circle is located adjacent to the Capitol Reflection Pool, the Capitol Building Tours Ticket Booth, and the United States Botanic Garden....
.

The Botanic Garden is supervised by the Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
through the Architect of the Capitol

Architect of the Capitol

The Architect of the Capitol is the Government agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex, and also the head of that agency....
, who is responsible for maintaining the grounds of the United States Capitol.

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Encyclopedia

The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is a botanic garden

Botanic garden

United States Capitol

The United States Capitol serves as the seat of government for the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States....
in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Garfield Circle

United States Congress

Architect of the Capitol

Federal holiday

In the United States, a federal holiday is a public holiday recognized by the Government of the United States. Non-essential federal government offices are closed....
s (except on June 3). It is the oldest continually-operating botanic garden in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

History

The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences in Washington, DC first suggested the creation of the US Botanic Garden in 1816. In 1820 it was given land by an act of Congress. The land was located west of the US Capitol extending from First Street to Third Street between Pennsylvania and Maryland Avenues. The facility ceased to operate in 1837 when the society stopped holding meetings. However it was re-instituted in 1842 when the Wilkes expedition of the South Seas brought back a collection of plants.

In 1838, Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes was an United States naval officer and List of explorers. He is particularly noted for leading the 1838–1842 United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 as well as for his role in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War....
set out on the United States Exploring Expedition

United States Exploring Expedition

The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean conducted by the United States Navy from 1838?1842....
commissioned by Congress to circumnavigate

Circumnavigation

To circumnavigate a place, such as an island, a continent, or the Earth, is to travel all the way around it by boat or ship. More recently, the term has also been used to cover aerial round-the-world flights....
the globe and explore the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
. During this trip (the "Wilkes Expedition"), Wilkes collected live and dried specimen

Specimen

In biology, a Laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, plant, part of a plant, or microorganism used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or subspecies....
s of plant

Plant

Plants are Life organisms belonging to the Kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae....
s and was one of the first to use wardian case

Wardian case

The Wardian case, the direct forerunner of the modern terrarium was invented by Dr Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward , of London, in about 1829 after an accidental discovery inspired him....
s to maintain live plants on long voyages. Wilkes returned in 1842 with a massive collection of plants previously unknown in the United States

United States

Herbarium

In botany, a herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in alcohol or other preservative....
curated by the Smithsonian Institution's

Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its Financial endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine....
National Museum of Natural History

National Museum of Natural History

File:Smithsonian Natural History Museum circa 1926.jpgThe National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.....
. The live specimens and seed

Seed

A seed is a small Plant embryogenesis plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some Food storage. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant....
s came to be housed in the Old Patent Office greenhouse, and were cared for there until 1850. At that time, a botanic garden was built to house the collection in front of the Capitol, where the Capitol reflecting pool

Reflecting Pool

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the largest of Washington, D.C.'s reflecting pools. Located directly east of the Lincoln Memorial, it is a long, rectangular pool visible in many photographs of the Washington Monument....
is now located.

In 1933, the building was moved to its present location, just to the southwest of the Capitol, bordered by Maryland Avenue on the north, First Street on the east, Independence Avenue

Independence Avenue

In Washington, D.C., Independence Avenue is a major east-west street running just south of the United States Capitol in the city's Washington, D.C....
on the south, and Third Street on the west.

The building was closed for renovation

Renovation

Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential....
s on September 1, 1997, and reopened to the public on December 11, 2001. At the time of closure for renovation, plants in the collection were placed in storage at the United States Botanic Garden Production Facility, retired to greenhouses in Florida

Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
, or composted.

Facilities

The USBG proper consists of three locations: the Conservatory, Bartholdi Park, and the Production Facility.

The Conservatory is a conservatory

Conservatory (greenhouse)

A conservatory is a glass and metal structure traditionally found in the garden of a large house. Modern conservatories are smaller, can be made of Polyvinyl chloride and are often added to houses for home improvement purposes....
housed in a Lord & Burnham

Lord & Burnham

Lord & Burnham are noted American greenhouse manufacturers, and builders of major public conservatories in the United States.The company began in 1849 when Frederick A....
greenhouse

Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a building where plants are cultivated.A greenhouse is a structure with a glass or plastic roof and frequently glass or plastic walls; it heats up because incoming solar radiation from the sun warms plants, soil, and other things inside the building....
. It is divided into separate rooms, each simulating a different habitat

Habitat

The term habitat has a number of meanings:* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows** Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play...
:

The Garden Court
Rare and Endangered Plants (rare species
Rare species

A rare species is an organism which is very uncommon or scarce. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and may be distinct from the term "endangered species" or "threatened species"....
, endangered species
Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters....
)
Plant Exploration
Orchid House (orchids
Orchidaceae

Orchidaceae is the largest Family of the flowering plants . Its name is derived from the genus Orchis.The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew list 880 genus and nearly 22,000 accepted species, but the exact number is unknown because of taxonomic disputes....
)
Medicinal Plants (medicinal plants
Herbalism

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy....
)
Desert (desert
Désert

?D?sert? is ?milie Simon's debut single, released in October 2002. The song was a huge success both critically and commercially in her homeland....
species)
Oasis (oasis
Oasis

In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. Oases also provide habitat for animals and even humans if the area is big enough....
)
Garden Primeval (primeval
Primeval

Primeval is a British science fiction television series.Primeval or prim?val may also refer to:* Primeval , a 2007 film* Primeval , a score of music from the BBC TV series Doctor Who...
)
Plant Adaptation
Jungle (jungle
Jungle

Jungle usually refers to a dense forest in a hot climate, such as a tropical rainforest. The word Jungle originates from the Sanskrit word Jangala which means a desert or uncultivated land....
species; this is the largest of the rooms, and includes a second-story catwalk
Footbridge

A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cycling and equestrianism, rather than vehicle traffic....
so that the jungle canopy
Canopy

Canopy may refer to:*Canopy , an overhead roof or structure that provides shade or other shelter*Baldachin, a cloth or permanent architectural feature that hangs over an altar or throne as a symbol of authority...
may be observed from both below and above)
Children's Garden (courtyard
Courtyard

For alternative meanings of the word "court", see: Court .A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky....
; features many thriving temperate
Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold....
annuals
Annual plant

An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates flowers and dies in one year. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed....
used to encourage interest in plants)
Southern Exposure (courtyard),on the south side of the building, is surrounded by glass walls, receiving more warmth. It features many plants from the Southeast
Southeastern United States

The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the Southern United States, but the Census Bureau does not provide a standard definition of a "Southeast" region of the United States, and organizations that need to subdivide the US are free to define a "Southeast" region to fit their needs....
and Southwest
Southwestern United States

The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit, such as the 37th parallel north, 38th parallel north, 39th parallel north, or 40th parallel north line....
, which would not be able to live in the colder District of Columbia climate if not for the microclimate
Microclimate

A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles ....
)

Except for the Oasis and the administrative offices, none of the garden has air conditioning

Air conditioning

An air conditioner is an appliance, system, or Mechanism designed to extract heat from an area via a refrigeration cycle. In construction, a complete system of heating, Ventilation , and air conditioning is referred to as "HVAC." Its purpose, in a building or an automobile, is to provide comfort during either hot or cold...
. Each room is closely monitored by a computer-operated sensors to maintain the environment best suited to the plants in that room. Humidity

Humidity

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean relative humidity. Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a Air parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature....
, sunlight

Sunlight

Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total spectroscopy of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is Filter ed through the Earth's atmosphere, and the solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon....
and temperature

Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
are regulated by means of a misting system, retractable shades and levered windows. All plants are watered daily by hand. Construction was completed on the National Garden on the Botanic Garden's west border, an annex of the Botanic Garden, in October 2006. The National Garden is funded by the National Fund for the U.S. Botanic Garden and includes a regional garden of plants native to the Atlantic Coastal Plain

Atlantic Coastal Plain

The Atlantic Coastal Plain is the flat stretch of land that borders the Atlantic Ocean . It is approximately long, stretching from New York, through the southeast United States and through Mexico, ending with the Yucat?n Peninsula....
, a rose garden

Rose Garden

Rose Garden may refer to:* Rose garden or Rosarium - a garden or park used for growing roses....
, a butterfly garden

Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Garden is a life simulation game by independent developer Autonomous Productions, revolving around the raising and collecting of butterflies....
, and the First Ladies Water Garden, a water garden

Water garden

Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, backyard ponds and garden ponds, have become popular in recent years. They have also been famous in Chinese and European history....
in memory of the First Ladies of the United States

First Lady of the United States

First Lady of the United States is the unofficial title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, the title is sometimes taken to apply only to the wife of a sitting President....
.

Bartholdi Park lies just south of the Conservatory, across Independence Avenue. It is named for the fountain

Fountain

A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source , fills a basin of some kind, and is drained away. Fountains may be wall fountains or free-standing....
in the garden's center designed by Frédéric Bartholdi

Frédéric Bartholdi

Fr?d?ric Auguste Bartholdi was a France sculpture. He is also known as Amilcar Hasenfratz, a pseudonym used for his paintings of Egyptian subjects, apparently because of concern that his work in another medium would distract from his sculpture....
. One of the goals of this garden is to provide inspiration and ideas for home gardeners who visit it. It displays a variety of small structured and non-structured gardens, and infuses color, shape, and planting themes. One section of the garden is certified as a National Wildlife Federation

National Wildlife Federation

The National Wildlife Federation is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over 5 million members and supporters in 48 state-affiliated organizations....
Backyard Wildlife Habitat. The Park also houses the main administrative building for the United States Botanic Garden.

The Production Facility in southwest D.C. is used for growing and storing plants for propagation

Plant propagation

'Plant propagation' is the process of artificially or naturally distributing plants....
, for collection maintenance, or for display in upcoming annual shows.

The USBG participates in CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), which means that it cares for plants seized by Customs

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing hundreds of U.S....
. It specializes in orchids and succulents.

Wilkes Plants

There are four plants in the garden that are believed to be directly related to the original Wilkes Expedition.

The Vessel Fern (Angiopteris evecta) situated in the Jungle, is a fern
Fern

A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta....
believed to be the direct progeny of the Vessel Fern brought back on Wilkes' ship. Because of the lifespan of Vessel Ferns, it is highly unlikely that the present fern is the original; however it is believed that the present fern is a direct descendant and genetically identical to the original.

The Ferocious Blue Cycad (Encephalartos horridus) is a cycad
Cycad

File:Cycad cone.jpgCycads are a group of seed plants characterized by a large crown of compound Leaf and a stout trunk . They are evergreen, gymnospermous, dioecious plants having large pinnately compound leaves....
questionably one of the original Wilkes plants. Due to its size and possible age, some believe this plant to have come back with the expedition in 1842; unfortunately, early records are incomplete and inaccurate, so this is left to speculation.

The Sago Palms (Cycas circinalis) also cycads, live in the Garden Court. The Botanic Garden cares for both a male and a female of the species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
, and both were brought back with the Wilkes Expedition.

United States Botanic Garden

History

Facilities

Wilkes Plants

External links