The first University Herbarium was created by Patrick Geddes, the first Professor of Botany at what was then University College Dundee. Lack of resources forced Geddes to abandon his work on the collection, and only a few of the specimens that came to the University during his time survive today. The Herbarium does, however, contain many plant specimens from the 19th century, though these were acquired at a later date.

To find out more about Patrick Geddes and his work at the University, click here. To see botanical teaching charts used by Geddes at the University, visit the Art of Teaching and Plant Life exhibition sites.

Following the gift of the Corstorphine Collection to the University in 1944, a later Botany lecturer, Dr Hugh Ingram, recommenced the active collection of herbarium specimens during the latter half of the 20th century. Thanks to this activity and the addition of other important collections there are now approximately 13,000 specimens in the Herbarium. All of these are now cared for by Museum Services.