UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University are coming together to create one of the largest plant collections in the United States.
The universities are combining their herbaria, collections of preserved plant specimens that serve as irreplaceable scientific archives.
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According to a UNC-Chapel Hill release, researchers use herbaria to study biodiversity, long-term climate shifts, invasive species and other changes in plant life across generations.
The combined collection will include about 1.7 million specimens, making it the third-largest herbarium in the country, behind collections at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley.
It will also be the largest herbarium in the southeastern United States.
“The preservation of plant biodiversity will shape human well-being for generations to come,” said Damon Waitt, director of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. “This consolidation will preserve a scientific legacy dating back to 1802, keep the combined collection a vital resource for studying plant diversity in the Southeast, and ensure it continues to advance our understanding of plant life as new tools transform plant research.”
In 2024, Duke decided to relocate its herbarium after determining the facility was outdated and would require years of renovations and specialized personnel.
“Duke’s Herbarium is a highly valuable research collection that has been expertly curated and studied by Duke faculty, staff and students as well as many scholars beyond campus,” said Amy Herring, dean of Natural Sciences at Duke. “This agreement will keep Duke’s Herbarium intact and locally accessible to scientists, curators and students, as well as the citizens of the state and region.”
The collection will be managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. The Botanical Garden already manages UNC Chapel Hill collection.