ANBG Research

Behind the scenes of misty gullies, towering eucalypts and crimson waratahs is a hive of research activity. We don't just create beautiful gardens - we're a world-class botanical institution.

  • Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR)

    The Centre is a joint venture between the Australian National Botanic Gardens and CSIRO to oversee some of Australia's most comprehensive and ground-breaking botanical work. The Centre's major function is to document the biological diversity of the Australian environment. Studies currently concentrate primarily on significant national plant groups such as eucalypts, orchids, grasses, grevilleas, mosses, rainforest laurels and the citrus family.

    • Systematics and evolution


      Understanding how plants evolved connects us to our natural world. It may also help us protect species as climates change. We're working to map how Australian plants evolved and diversified, and how they were affected by their relationships with other living things.

      Australian National Herbarium


      The herbarium holds specimens for the Garden's living collection as well as specimens collected from the wild all around Australia. These samples have created a stunning record of Australian native plants which is shared with research institutions all over the world. The priceless herbarium collection includes samples collected by Joseph Banks on Captain Cook's voyage to Australia in 1770.

      Botanical intern program


      We've been helping young people get valuable hands-on botanical experience since 1993. Students from all over the world have benefited from using our extensive facilities and we have loved hosting them - and sharing our knowledge and experiences with them.
      Visit the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research website

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  • Our nursery

    Our on-site nursery team can produce up to 40,000 plants per year! We grow hundreds of seedlings for use in the Gardens and glasshouses, research, and restoration projects in the ACT and New South Wales regions.

    • Look out for open days when you can come and visit us as we propagate seeds and grow new plants to show in the Gardens.

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  • National Seed Bank

    Nestled among the eucalypts, the seed bank holds collections that date back as far as the 1960s. We use the seed for the conservation of rare and threatened plants. We also use the collection for research, to grow new seedlings for the Gardens and to supply to registered organisations.

    • The Gardens is a member of the Australian Seed Bank Partnership (ASBP). The ASBP is an Australia wide initiative aimed at a national effort to conserve Australia's native plant diversity through collaborative and sustainable seed collecting, banking, research and knowledge sharing for better outcomes in plant conservation and restoration.

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  • Botanical resources

    To capture and communicate its botanical information, the Australian National Botanic Gardens has an extensive image collection, a comprehensive library and a database that underpins all our activities.

    • Image collection

      The image collection includes everything from photographs of royal visitors to botanical drawings, all of which are searchable online. It holds over 48,000 photographs of Australian plants as well as pictures of our visitors and activities since our opening in 1970. Find out more on the image collection.


      Botanical databases

      Our databases allow enthusiasts from across the world to access information about Australian plants.


      Library and archive

      The library is a collection of almost 20,000 books, 400 journal titles and 5,000 maps representing the fascinating diversity and beauty of plants, flowers and trees across the world. It provides staff and volunteers with access to publications on the latest in botanical research and horticulture. It's also open to the public by appointment as a reference library.

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