United States Botanic Garden: Difference between revisions

| photo = 2017 United States Botanic Garden.jpg

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| type = Botanical Garden

| location = [[Washington DC]]

| operator = US Congress

| publictransit = [[Federal Center SW station]]

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The Botanic Garden is supervised by the [[United States Congress|Congress]] through the [[Architect of the Capitol]], who is responsible for maintaining the grounds of the United States Capitol. The USBG is open every day of the year, including [[federal holiday]]s. It is the oldest continually-operating botanic garden in the United States.

 

== History ==

The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences in Washington, DC first suggested the creation of the Botanic Garden in 1816. In 1820 it was given land by an act of Congress. The land was located west of the 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.<ref>http://citycat.dclibrary.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/QWMC2f9na7/ML-KING/33270231/511/5327 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref>

 

 

The dried specimens comprised the core of what is now the '''National Herbarium''', an [[herbarium]] curated by the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian Institution's]] [[National Museum of Natural History]]. The live specimens and [[seed]]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]] is now located.

Abolitionist [[Photius Fisk]] conducted scientific exploration of minerals and plants. While he was U.S. Navy chaplain on the [[USS Raritan (1843)|Frigate Raritan]] in South America and the Pacific he collected seeds and rare plants for the United States Botanic Garden. Some of the species he gathered were the [[Vanilla (genus)|vanilla plant]], [[dendrobium]], [[cattleya]], [[epidendrum]], [[stanhopea]], and several other named and unnamed species. Most of the flowers were from Brazil. He also obtained the rare butterfly flower [[psychopsis|Oncidium Papilio]] from Saint Thomas which he carefully guarded. [[Photius Fisk]] kept careful notes of his observations of the plants. In February 1853, he immediately traveled to Washington and gave the plants to the superintendent and botanist of the United States Botanic Garden W. D. Breckenridge.<ref>{{cite book |last= Hunter |first= Alfred |author-link= |date= 1856 |title= A Popular Catalogue of the Extraordinary Curiosities in the National Institute |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xHsDAAAAYAAJ&q=fisk|location= Washington D.C. |publisher= Alfred Hunter Publishing |page=66 |isbn= }}</ref><ref name="bio">{{cite book |last= Hodge |first= Lyman F. |author-link= |date= 1891 |title= Photius Fisk A Biography |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=X-l_AdfbROMC&dq=Photius+Fisk+A+Biography+butterfly+flower&pg=PA93 |location= Boston, Mass |publisher= Lyman F. Hodge|page= 93 |isbn= }}</ref>

 

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 (Washington D.C.)|Independence Avenue]] on the south, and Third Street on the west.

 

 

== Facilities ==

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

 

The Production Facility in [[Southwest, Washington, D.C.|southwest D.C.]] is used for growing and storing plants for [[plant propagation|propagation]], 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 [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|Customs]]. It specializes in [[orchid]]s and [[succulents]].

 

* The Ferocious Blue Cycad (''[[Encephalartos horridus]]'') is a [[cycad]] 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 Queen Sagos [[Cycas circinalis]], which are cycads, live in the Garden Court. The Botanic Garden cares for both a male and a female of the [[species]], and both were brought back with the Wilkes Expedition.

 

== External links ==

{{Commons category|United States Botanic Garden}}

{{CapitolComplex}}

{{USCongress}}

 

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