Botanic Garden
University of Warsaw
Al. Ujazdowskie 4
00-478 Warsaw
Tel. (22) 553 05 11
ogrod@biol.uw.edu.pl
www.ogrod.uw.edu.pl
Director: Prof. Marcin Zych
Deputy Head of Gardens – Monika Latkowska PhD
Deputy Technical Director – Agnieszka Krzyk MSc
Administrative staff – Hanna Werblan-Jakubiec PhD – proxy for investments
Academic and Teaching Staff – Prof. Małgorzata Stpiczyńska, Marta Wrzosek PhD, Katarzyna Roguz PhD
Curators: Joanna Bogdanowicz MSc, Magdalena Chełchowska MSc, Izabella Kirpluk MSc, Elżbieta Melon MSc,
Wojciech Podstolski PhD, Dorota Szubierajska, Dariusz Wyrwicki MSc.
Educational Laboratory: Mariola Kukier-Wyrwicka MSc, Magdalena Oprządek PhD, Marianna Darżynkiewicz-
Wojcieska, Anna Albin MSc, Izabela Kuzyszyn MSc, Mateusz Skłodowski MSc
The data of the Central Statistical Ofce lists the Botanic Garden of the University of Warsaw as being a ‛paramuseum’. It is one of the oldest, and at the same time the smallest botanical garden in Poland. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Royal Łazienki Park, the Belvedere Palace and Ujazdów Castle, it is a beautiful historical park with a splendid collection of native and foreign flora. The garden consists of plant collections that are divided thematically; there is a section for ornamental plants, one for plant systematics, and another for flora of the Polish lowlands. Of particular value are the protected species and those that are endangered. The majestic old trees also fill the place with a unique ambience; some, like the ginkgo and English oak are 200 hundred years old. In total, approx. 5,000 species and varieties belonging to about 200 families have been amassed here, including approx. 1,050 taxa of trees and shrubs, approx. 1,350 taxa of greenhouse plants and approx. 2,600 taxa of herbaceous plants. The main areas of research carried out in the Botanic Garden are connected to its basic function which is the protection of biological diversity. Research is undertaken on the biology of flowering and nectariferous plants, on their pollination, and the evolution of their reproductive systems. Activities connected with education and the dissemination of knowledge are also developing intensively. The garden
actively supports actions related to the implementation of the Washington Convention (CITES), the objective of which is to protect endangered plant and animal species that are traded internationally. In additional to academic teaching, other educational events are organized on a cyclical basis: ‛Plants, insects and honey’ and the rose festival, as well as exhibitions of plants such as: orchids, carnivorous plants, succulents, and African violets. Various workshops and outdoor games are also organized during the Night of Museums and the Science Festival. Thanks to social education, visitors are made aware of the unique value of the natural environment. Everyone can learn about how to protect nature while at the same time drawing on its richness without violating any environmental laws. The garden also contains historic mementoes, such as the foundations of the Church of Divine Providence which was to have been built to commemorate the Constitution of 3 May of 1791, as well as the historical fountain, which is a reminder of the first years of the garden’s existence.
