Research

As a living museum, we maintain careful records on each plant in the Arboretum's collection. These records include:

• the correct scientific and common names of the plant
• the plant family to which it belongs
• source information for all wild and cultivated plants received at the institution
• other plants with which the plant was associated in its native site
• when and how the plant material was propagated
• propagation method success rates
• when and where it was planted in the garden
• horticultural, culinary, medicinal, or economic uses of the plant
• geographic range of the species

The Arboretum maintains a Geographic Information System (GIS) and digital maps that are linked to the plant records.

The Arboretum's documented plant collections are used by researchers in a variety of fields. Recent studies have focused on natural pest control methods, DNA analysis of  evolutionary relationships among plant groups, plant susceptibility to disease, genome classification, and plant-insect interactions. Other researchers study the wildlife in the Arboretum, the water quality in the creek, the history of the site, or the ways people use the gardens.

For more information about conducting research at the Arboretum, contact curator Mia Ingolia at (530) 754-8219 or meingolia@ucdavis.edu.