历史沿革

英国剑桥大学植物园（Cambridge University Botanic Garden，简称CUBG）创立于1762年，是英国第二古老的植物园，仅次于牛津大学植物园。植物园的创建理念源于当时著名的植物学家约翰·克莱顿（John Claydon），他向剑桥大学捐赠了一块土地用于建立植物园。1846年，植物园正式向公众开放，从此成为剑桥市重要的科研与休闲场所。植物园占地40英亩（约16公顷），位于剑桥市中心以南，收藏超过8000种植物，是世界上植物多样性最丰富的植物园之一。

植物园的发展历程与英国园艺科学紧密相连。19世纪下半叶，植物园扩建为维多利亚式花园，聘请了著名园艺师探索不同的植物展示方式。20世纪以来，植物园逐步确立了以科研、教育和物种保护为核心的使命，如今隶属于剑桥大学博物馆联盟（University of Cambridge Museums），与大学的植物学系保持着密切的合作关系。

机构性质与科研使命

剑桥大学植物园是剑桥大学的正式附属研究机构，隶属于大学博物馆联盟，与大学植物科学系（Sydne y B. Marshall植物科学系）共同开展研究工作。植物园的使命是通过植物收藏、研究和公众教育，促进对植物多样性的理解与保护。作为一所集科研、教育和公众参与于一体的综合性植物园，CUBG在英国乃至全球植物园网络中占据重要地位。

植物园现有员工约50人，包括专业园艺师、研究人员和教育工作者。园艺团队由首席园艺师萨莉·佩蒂特（Sally Petitt）领衔，负责植物园的日常养护与景观更新。此外，植物园还拥有一支活跃的志愿者团队，协助开展导览、活动组织和植物养护等工作。每年接待游客约30万人次，是剑桥市最受欢迎的景点之一。

六大核心收藏

剑桥大学植物园的核心资产是其丰富的植物收藏，主要包括六大类：

活体收藏（Living Collections）：收藏超过8000种来自世界各地的活体植物，涵盖从热带雨林到高山草甸的各种生态类型。活体收藏是植物园科学研究和公众教育的核心资源，也是全球植物多样性保护网络的重要节点。

植物标本馆（Herbarium）：馆藏超过100万份植物标本，是英国最重要的植物标本收藏机构之一。标本馆为植物分类学、系统发育学和生物地理学研究提供了宝贵的实物依据。

种子库（Seed Bank）：参与全球种子保护网络（Native Seed Conservation Partnership），收集和保存英国本土植物种子，为濒危物种的迁地保护做出贡献。种子库还向研究机构和保护组织提供种子材料，支持植物保护研究。

科里图书馆（Cory Library）：收藏超过9000册园艺学、植物学和自然历史领域的书籍，最早的可追溯至17世纪。图书馆对研究人员、学生和公众开放，是英国最重要的园艺文献资源之一。

档案馆（Archives）：保存植物园历史档案，包括建园文件、历史照片、园丁日记和植物记录等，是研究英国植物园历史演变的一手资料。

植物染料收藏（Botanic Dyes）：专门收集可用于提取天然染料的植物种类，用于教育演示和传统染色工艺的研究与传承。

主题园区与特色景观

植物园拥有多个主题园区，展示了不同地理区域和功能类型的植物景观：

冬季花园（Winter Garden）：创建于1979年，是英国首个专门设计的冬季花园。冬季花园在每年12月初至次年3月呈现最丰富的色彩，以观赏草、浆果灌木、芳香植物和早春球根花卉为主，被认为是英国最出色的冬景花园之一。

蜜蜂花园（Bee Border）：以吸引传粉昆虫为目标设计，种植了大量蜜源植物，包括各种唇形科植物、紫藤和灌木花卉，为游客展示植物与传粉者的共生关系。

岩石园（Rock Garden）：模拟高山生态环境，收集了来自世界各地的高山植物，包括各种杜鹃花、报春花和岩生蕨类。岩石园依地势而建，为游客提供了探索高山植物多样性的独特空间。

展览温室（Glasshouse Range）：包括热带雨林温室、干旱植物温室和温带植物温室，收藏了大量热带和亚热带植物。游客可在温室内近距离观察食虫植物、兰科植物和珍稀热带树木。

此外，植物园还设有香草园（Fragrant Garden）、玫瑰园、干燥花园、草迷宫、林地小径、台地园和地中海花床等多个特色园区，每年随季节更替呈现不同的景观效果。

科学活动与公众教育

植物园每年举办”年度植物节”（Festival of Plants）等大型活动，吸引众多植物爱好者参与。周末科学讲座（Sscience on Sundays）系列邀请研究人员分享最新植物科学成果，成为公众了解植物学前沿进展的重要窗口。

植物园还与剑桥大学合作开设园艺证书课程（Certificate in Horticulture）和植物学证书课程（Certificate in Botany），为有志于从事园艺或植物科学研究的人士提供系统培训。此外，植物园面向中小学生和大学生提供各类教育项目，包括野外考察、标本制作和科学实验等。

植物园于2024年发布了一项突破性研究：通过对早泥盆纪（约4.7亿年前）植物化石的分析，揭示了植物多样性演化的最早蓝图。这一发现为理解早期陆地植物的进化提供了关键证据，在国际植物学界引起广泛关注。

官方网站：https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/

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History

Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) was founded in 1762, making it the second oldest botanic garden in Britain, after Oxford University Botanic Garden. The garden was established following a donation by botanist John Claydon, who provided land to the University for this purpose. The garden opened to the public in 1846 and has since become one of Cambridge’s most important centres for scientific research and public recreation. Covering 40 acres (approximately 16 hectares), the garden is situated south of Cambridge city centre and houses more than 8,000 plant species, making it one of the most plant-diverse botanic gardens in the world.

Throughout the 19th century, the garden expanded into a Victorian-style landscape under the direction of renowned horticulturists who pioneered innovative methods of plant display. During the 20th century, the garden developed its core mission centred on research, education, and species conservation. Today, CUBG is part of the University of Cambridge Museums consortium and maintains close collaborative ties with the University’s Department of Plant Sciences.

Institutional Status and Research Mission

Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a formal research institution affiliated with the University of Cambridge, operating as part of the University of Cambridge Museums consortium alongside the Department of Plant Sciences. The garden’s mission is to advance understanding and conservation of plant diversity through its living collections, research programmes, and public education. As an integrated research, education, and public engagement facility, CUBG holds an important position within both British and global botanic garden networks.

The garden employs approximately 50 staff members, including professional horticulturists, researchers, and educators. The horticulture team is led by Head of Horticulture Sally Petitt, who oversees the garden’s daily maintenance and landscape development. The garden also maintains an active volunteer programme, with volunteers assisting in guiding, events, and plant care. CUBG welcomes approximately 300,000 visitors annually, making it one of Cambridge’s most visited attractions.

Six Core Collections

The garden’s core assets lie in its diverse plant collections, which can be divided into six main categories:

Living Collections: Housing over 8,000 living plant species from around the world, encompassing ecosystems ranging from tropical rainforests to alpine meadows. The living collections serve as the foundation for the garden’s scientific research and public education, forming a vital node in the global plant conservation network.

Herbarium: With over one million plant specimens, the herbarium is one of Britain’s most significant botanical collections. It provides invaluable material for plant taxonomy, phylogenetics, and biogeography research.

Seed Bank: Participating in the Native Seed Conservation Partnership, the seed bank collects and conserves seeds of native British plant species, contributing to the ex-situ conservation of endangered species. The seed bank also provides seed material to research institutions and conservation organisations.

Cory Library: Housing over 9,000 volumes covering horticulture, botany, and natural history, with some items dating back to the 17th century. The library is open to researchers, students, and the public, constituting one of Britain’s most important horticultural literature resources.

Archives: Preserving the garden’s historical records, including founding documents, historic photographs, gardeners’ diaries, and plant records. These primary sources are invaluable for researching the evolution of British botanic gardens.

Botanic Dyes: A specialised collection of plants used for natural dye extraction, supporting education demonstrations and research into traditional dyeing techniques.

Garden Sections and Notable Landscapes

The garden features multiple themed sections showcasing different geographical regions and functional plant types:

Winter Garden: Established in 1979, it was the first winter garden created at a British botanic garden. At its peak from early December through March, the Winter Garden displays ornamental trees, striking-coloured stems, fragrant shrubs, and beautiful bulbs, creating a winter wonderland even on the dullest days. It remains at the forefront of British winter gardens.

Bee Border: Designed to attract pollinators, the Bee Border features abundant nectar-rich plants including salvias, wisterias, and flowering shrubs, demonstrating the co-evolutionary relationship between plants and pollinators.

Rock Garden: Simulating alpine environments, the Rock Garden houses plants from高山 regions worldwide, including various rhododendrons, primulas, and rock ferns. The garden’s terrain provides visitors with a unique space to explore alpine plant diversity.

Glasshouse Range: Comprising tropical rainforest, succulent, and temperate glasshouses, the range contains numerous tropical and subtropical plants. Visitors can observe carnivorous plants, orchids, and rare tropical trees up close.

Additional features include a Fragrant Garden, Rose Garden, Dry Garden, Grass Maze, Woodland Walk, Terraces, and Mediterranean Beds, each presenting distinct seasonal landscapes throughout the year.

Scientific Activities and Public Education

The garden hosts major annual events including the Festival of Plants, attracting numerous plant enthusiasts. The Science on Sundays lecture series invites researchers to share the latest advances in plant science, serving as an important window for the public to engage with cutting-edge botanical research.

CUBG also partners with the University of Cambridge to offer a Certificate in Horticulture and a Certificate in Botany, providing systematic training for those pursuing careers in horticulture or plant science. The garden delivers educational programmes for primary and secondary schools and university students, including field studies, specimen preparation, and scientific experiments.

In 2024, the garden announced a breakthrough research finding: analysis of Early Devonian plant fossils (approximately 470 million years old) revealed the earliest blueprint for plant diversity evolution. This discovery provides critical evidence for understanding early land plant evolution and has attracted widespread attention in the international botanical community.