Buda Arboretum

1. BGs as living treasuries – maintenance and development of living collections

With almost 3,000 plant taxa the Buda Arboretum has an important collection of plant species and varieties supporting higher education on horticultural production and landscape architecture. In addition to the thematic plant collections, unique plant varieties of the Hungarian flora, Hungaricums are also located in the garden.

2. BGs as green laboratories – scientific activities and research infrastructure

The Department of Floriculture and Dendrology, which provides professional supervision of the arboretum, has a plant micropropagation and histology laboratory. There are, also, instruments suitable for the field measurement of the most important physiological processes.

3. BGs as experience-based class-rooms – education activities and infrastructure

The special task of the Buda Arboretum is to support higher education in horticulture and landscape architecture, its plant material provides irreplaceable support to acquire the skills on plant propagation, care and use. It is a unique opportunity for the students to acquire the knowledge taught here by studying live plant material, integrated into their normal timetable training, which is ensured by the uniquely rich plant collection

4. BGs as custodians of biodiversity – conservation activities, saving endangered species, gene banking

One of the most important tasks of the Buda Arboretum is the preservation of rare, protected plant species. The Arboretum maintains specimens or stocks of 37 protected plant species, including rarities such as the warm relict of the Vértes Mountains, the oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis), or domestic cotoneaster (Cotoneaster integerrimus, C. niger, C. tomentosus) and rowan (Sorbus) species. In connection with the ex situ conservation program of protected plants, the Buda Arboretum has served as an important site for the study of the reproductive biology of rare, protected plants, the analysis of their reproductive strategies and characteristics, and the conservation of plants. Thanks to the laboratory, in vitro propagation experiments related to the program, several protected plants were propagated and their ex situ stock established.

5. BGs as perpetuators of cultural heritage

The first plants of the Buda Arboretum were planted in 1893, so the oldest part of the collection garden is almost 130 years old, therefore it also plays an important role as a historical garden. The plants of the oldest area, the so-called Upper Garden, were initially planted according to taxonomic principles, still preserve the original landscape garden structure created by the German-born horticultural dendrologist Karl Räde.

6. BGs as eco-attractions – recreation areas, touristic activities and operations, visitor experience and comfort

Due to its metropolitan location, the Buda Arboretum is particularly important in counteracting the harmful effects of urbanization: it provides a liveable and healthy environment for thousands of citizens to relax and hike, and plays an important role in the environmental education of preschool and primary school groups. For the general public, the spring and autumn ornamental plant exhibitions and fairs in the garden have a tradition of more than 20 years.