Built in 2004, the Duke Greenhouse spans over 15,000 square feet of indoor space, divided into live plant collection and research rooms.
Live plant collection started at the greenhouse as early as the late 1800s when faculty members returning from conducting research in other countries donated plants to the facility.
Assistant Horticulturist Kristin Dimac-Stohl explained that some plants have been in the collection since the 1960s when the greenhouse was just a group of hoop houses. As the plant collection grew, Duke decided to build a more permanent facility to house them. While the greenhouse was being built, Duke community members pitched in to care for the plants in their homes.
Today, the greenhouse’s live plant collection contains over 800 species, including rare and endangered plants.
Read more at dukechronicle.com