The RBGE is an international centre of excellence in plant science and horticulture.  It undertakes a wide educational programme for every stage in life, is one of Scotland’s leading tourist destinations,  and is a centre for community engagement and recreation – connecting plants to people.

First and foremost, the Garden is a scientific institution focussed on understanding and conserving the world’s plant diversity.  Its work on accelerating species discovery facilitates a wide range of conservation projects around the world, and its expertise in DNA sequencing provides important insights into plant evolution and ecology.  This research is underpinned by one of the richest collections of wild plant species in the world, an herbarium containing three million preserved plant specimens and a highly acclaimed specialist library and archive.