The Georgeson Botanical Garden is located at 117 West Tanana Drive on the

University of Alaska Fairbanks The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF or Alaska) is a public land-grant research university in College, Alaska, a suburb of Fairbanks. It is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system. UAF was established in 1917 and opened for cla ...

campus in

Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

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. The five acre garden hosts a variety of research and educational programs in subarctic horticulture. It is open to the public during daylight hours, May through September, for a fee. It is part of the Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. The garden was named after Charles Christian Georgeson, who was

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

Special Agent in Charge of Alaska Investigations in 1899. Dr. Georgeson arrived in Alaska during the Gold Rush to research the possibilities for agriculture in Alaska. He surveyed the land near Fairbanks and started the Fairbanks Experiment Farm. A portion of the land was later annexed for use as the first campus of the University of Alaska. Research at the garden involves a variety of plants including annual flowers, vegetables and perennial ornamentals with an emphasis on Alaska native plants. A ten-year effort begun in 2001 to explore the possibility of exporting fresh cut flowers has led to a small industry centered on peonies. Flowers have been exported to retail and wholesale markets since 2007. Because of Alaska's northern environment, many flowers bloom later than other regions, providing a competitive advantage on world markets. Research results are available on the GBG website. Research also emphasizes domestication and management of wild stands especially of Alaska wild blueberries and lingonberries.

References

{{Authority control Botanical gardens in Alaska Protected areas of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska Science and technology in Alaska University of Alaska Fairbanks

See also

References