[United States Government Manual]
[September 15, 2009]
[Pages 45-47]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



UNITED STATES BOTANIC GARDEN

Office of Executive Director, 245 First Street SW., Washington, DC 20024
Phone, 202-225-6670. Internet, www.usbg.gov.
Conservatory, 100 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20001
Phone, 202-226-8333.
Production Facility, 4700 Shepherd Parkway SW., Washington, DC 20032
Phone, 202-226-4780
DIRECTOR (Architect of the Capitol)               Stephen T. Ayers, 
                                                          Acting
Executive Director                                Holly H. Shimizu

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The United States Botanic Garden informs visitors about the importance 
and value of plants to the well-being of humankind and earth's 
ecosystems.
The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is one of the oldest botanic 
gardens in North America. The Garden highlights the diversity of plants 
worldwide, as well as their aesthetic, cultural, economic, therapeutic, 
and ecological significance. The USBG encourages plant appreciation and 
the growth of botanical knowledge through artistic plant displays, 
exhibits, educational programs, and curation of a large collection of 
plants. It fosters plant conservation by serving as a repository for 
endangered species. Uniquely situated at the heart of the U.S. 
Government, the Garden seeks to promote the exchange of ideas and 
information relevant to its mission among national and international 
visitors and policymakers.
    The Garden's collections include orchids, epiphytes, bromeliads, 
carnivorous plants, ferns, cycads, cacti, succulents, medicinal plants, 
rare and endangered plants, and plants valued as sources of food, 
beverages, fibers, cosmetics, and industrial products.
    The U.S. Botanic Garden's facilities include the Conservatory, the 
National Garden, Bartholdi Park, an administration building, and an off-
site production facility. The Conservatory, one of the largest 
structures of its kind in this country, reopened on December 11, 2001, 
after undergoing major renovation that required more than 4 years to 
complete. In addition to upgraded

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amenities for visitors, it features 12 exhibit and plant display areas.
    The National Garden opened on October 1, 2006. Located on three 
acres adjacent to the west side of the Conservatory, the National Garden 
comprises a First Ladies Water Garden, a Butterfly Garden, a Rose Garden 
celebrating our national flower, a Lawn Terrace, a Regional Garden of 
native Mid-Atlantic plants, and an amphitheater where visitors may relax 
and enjoy the stunning views of the U.S. Capitol.
    Outdoor plantings are also showcased in Bartholdi Park, a home 
landscape demonstration area located across from the Conservatory. Each 
of the displays is sized and scaled for suitability in an urban or 
suburban setting. The gardens display ornamental plants that perform 
well in this region arrayed in a variety of styles and themes. Also 
located in this park is Bartholdi Fountain, created by Frederic Auguste 
Bartholdi (1834-1904), sculptor of the Statue of Liberty.
    The U.S. Botanic Garden's staff is organized into horticulture, 
operations, administration, and public programs divisions. Programs for 
the public are listed in a quarterly calendar of events and also on the 
Garden's Web site. A horticultural hotline and Email address are 
available to answer questions from the public.
    The U.S. Botanic Garden was founded in 1820 under the auspices of 
the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, an 
organization that was the outgrowth of an association known as the 
Metropolitan Society, which received its charter from Congress on April 
20, 1818. The Garden continued under the direction of the Institute 
until 1837, when the Institute ceased to exist as an active 
organization.
    In June 1842, the U.S. Exploring Expedition under the command of 
Captain Charles Wilkes returned from its 4-year voyage with a wealth of 
information, artifacts, pressed-plant specimens, and living plants from 
around the world. The living plants were temporarily placed on exhibit 
on a lot behind the old Patent Office under the care of William D. 
Brackenridge, the Expedition's botanist. By November 1842, the plants 
were moved into a greenhouse built there with funds appropriated by 
Congress. Subsequently, the greenhouse was expanded with two additions 
and a small growing area to care for the burgeoning collection. In 1843, 
stewardship of the collection was placed under the direction and control 
of the Joint Committee on the Library, which had also assumed 
responsibility for publication of the results of the Expedition. 
Expansion of the Patent Office in 1849 necessitated finding a new 
location for the botanical collections.
    The act of May 15, 1850 (9 Stat. 427) provided for the relocation of 
the Botanic Garden under the direction of the Joint Committee on the 
Library. The site selected was on the National Mall at the west end of 
the Capitol Grounds, practically the same site the Garden occupied 
during the period it functioned under the Columbian Institute. This site 
was later enlarged, and the main area continued to serve as the 
principal Garden site from 1850 to 1933, when the Garden was relocated 
to its present site.
    Although the Government had assumed responsibility for the 
maintenance and stewardship of the plant collection in 1842, the two 
functions were divided between the Commissioner of Public Buildings and 
the Joint Committee on the Library, respectively. In 1856, in 
recognition of their increasing stature, the collections and their 
associated operations and facilities were officially named the United 
States Botanic Garden, and the Joint Committee on the Library assumed 
jurisdiction over both its direction and maintenance (11 Stat. 104). An 
annual appropriation has been provided by Congress since 1856.
    Presently, the Joint Committee on the Library has supervision over 
the U.S. Botanic Garden through the Architect of the Capitol, who has 
held the title of Acting Director since 1934.

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For further information concerning the United States Botanic Garden, 
contact the Public Programs Division, 245 First Street SW., Washington, 
DC 20024. Phone, 202-225-8333. Plant Hotline, 202-226-4785. Internet, 
www.usbg.gov. Email, [email protected].

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