The UCSC Greenhouses is the core support facility for plants used in the instructional and research programs for the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology(MCDB), and Environmental Studies (ENVS). The UCSC Greenhouses is comprised of three facilities occupying the rooftops of science buildings in the center of the UCSC campus. Two facilities primarily support research; the third and largest is used for instruction.
The Jean H Langenheim Greenhouses is an instructional facility, located on the roof of Thimann Labs. It houses a botanical collection of over 700 species of plants with emphasis on ethno botany, systematic botany, evolution and ecology. Discussion and lab classes meet there to get hands on learning in these areas and many more. Five greenhouses, outdoor areas and a lab classroom are available to the campus community. As the facility is funded by the two largest divisions on campus, the greenhouses hosts many students in various fields outside of the plant sciences. We are open throughout the year, weekdays from 9:00am to 3:00pm, for students, faculty and staff to enjoy and learn.
The research facilities are located on the roofs of Sinsheimer Labs and the Interdisciplinary Sciences Building. They are only open to the faculty, students and staff that run experiments at these locations. Students interested in a particular topic can, with the help of the EEB Undergraduate Advising Office and or the Environmental Studies Internship Program, be directed to appropriate faculty members who will be able to guide them in their research pursuit. UCSC is an outstanding university in that it promotes undergraduate participation in many research areas. This enables a student interested in a particular area to contribute to research in that area. It gives an undergraduate student lab experience and exposes them to groups that are dealing with many cutting edge topics related to the student’s interests. There are a wide variety of projects relating to plant sciences currently being researched at our facility.
Mission Statement
The UCSC Greenhouses is an interdivisional facility that is a resource for plant instruction and research supported by the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences and the Division of Social Sciences.
We are dedicated to providing a safe, clean, efficient and organized facility that is open to UCSC community for the pursuit of education and research. To this end we will provide:
1. An instructional facility that welcomes learning and teaching.
2. A quality botanical collection to be used by programs supported by our constituents and a well equipped facility to host classes.
3. An ability to work with professors, teaching assistance and students to support intensive learning that reflects the standards set by the University of California.
4. A refined research facility that is ready and able to host projects supported by our faculty representatives.
5. Quality plant care.
6. Experienced and innovative technical expertise and devoted and helpful service.