About plant collections in VU Botanical Garden 

Thousands of visitors visit VU Botanical Garden to enjoy the colours and scents of spring, summer and autumn flowers and trees. The Garden invites visitors to discover biodiversity in plant collections and their compositions. The most spectacular collections are Rhododendrons, Lilacs, Climbers, Peonies, Irises, Lilies and others. More than 40 different collections are collected for the cognitive and educational needs of society, pupils and students, for scientific research, and for the preservation of biological diversity and genetic resources. Collections are very different, divided into 6 groups according to their purpose and collection goals. 

Educational collections. A clearly formulated narrow topic suitable for one or more different educational activities or lessons,  for both independent and group teaching and learning. Outdoor information stands with educational materials located in the Garden, and more material is provided on the website.

• Epiphytes (under development);
• Ethnobotanical collection (under development);
• Succulents;
• Diversity of plant life forms and morphotypes (under development);
• Evolutionary Path (under development);
• Woody plants with edible fruits diversity;
• Grandma's Garden.

Thematic collections are intended to introduce the general public to the variety of plants on a chosen topic, like books of illustrations about individual groups of plants. There are 7 educational and 19 thematic collections in the Garden. such collections are:

• Alpine plants;
• Ornamental bellflower plants suitable for Lithuanian conditions;
• Diversity of lianas suitable for cultivation under Lithuanian conditions;
• Diversity of conifers suitable for cultivation under Lithuanian conditions;
• Ornamental lilac collection suitable for growing in Lithuania;
• Heath plants collection suitable for cultivation in Lithuanian conditions;
• Ornamental roses and thorns collection suitable for growing in Lithuania;
• Hostas suitable for cultivation in Lithuania;
• Spices and aromatic plants;
• Plants suitable for phytoremediation;
• Magnolias suitable for growing in Lithuania;
• Ornamental grasses suitable for growing in Lithuania;
• Diversity of cultivars of woody angiosperms, suitable for cultivation in Lithuanian conditions;
• Hydrangeas, suitable for cultivation in Lithuanian conditions;
• Maples suitable for Lithuanian conditions;
• Spring-flowering herbaceous ornamental plants;
• Summer-flowering herbaceous ornamental plants;
• Autumn-flowering herbaceous ornamental plants;
• Shade or semi-shade-loving herbaceous ornamental plants;
• Light-loving perennial herbaceous ornamental plants.

Scientific collections are intended for carrying out research, collecting research material, their composition is formed according to specific scientific programs. Breeding collections are intended for the breeding of new plant varieties. Scientific and breeding collections are visited only during events. The garden has two scientific collections (barley mutants and honeysuckle with blue (edible) fruits) and one breeding (flowering quince) collection.

• Barley;
• Blue honeysuckle;
• Quince.

Biodiversity collections are designed to accumulate the targeted diversity of representatives of a selected taxon (section, order, family, genus, species, etc.), for its preservation in ex situ conditions and for the implementation of in situ restoration programs for endangered plant species.

• Lithuanian flora.

The gene pool preservation collections of cultural plants are intended for the preservation of Lithuanian cultural plants in ex situ conditions. They also exhibit varieties of foreign origin for educational purposes. The garden has two gene pool collections of biodiversity and nine cultivated plants.

• Ornamental apple trees;
• Gladioli;
• Lilies;
• Iris;
• Peonies;
  
• Primrose;
• Daylilies;
• Grapevines;
• Dahlias;
• Currants and gooseberries.

So one of the most abundant plants collection in the Baltic States has been collected and grown in the VU Botanical Garden - more than 10 thousand plants (flowers, trees, shrubs, fruit bushes, tropical and others).