The botanical gardens of the University of Utrecht are a museum organization, although our collections are not made up of paintings or archaeological objects, but of living plants.

Managing such a living collection requires a very different approach. Like museums, botanical gardens also perform various functions. The collections are not intended only for the public, but also for scientific research, education and conservation of plant species. In the late 1980s, the various botanical gardens in the Netherlands decided to ensure that the collections are distributed as much as possible between the various gardens. As a result, the Dutch botanical gardens provide a habitat for a wide range of plant species, genera and families. With fourteen approved subcollections, Utrecht University Botanical Gardens are one of the largest participants in this global collection of Dutch plants.