Interactive Maps for Living Collections

Managing living plant collections is uniquely challenging. Unlike most natural history collections, they are composed of living organisms constantly growing, changing, and occasionally lost. Without regular observation and record updates, data can quickly become outdated, making it harder to manage these valuable assets.

In large, spatially distributed sites such as arboreta or botanic gardens, effective management relies on accurate location data. Plants live in space, and knowing their precise latitude and longitude is essential for stock checks, planning, and collection maintenance.

Using GIS to map beds and areas makes it easier for horticultural teams to navigate and maintain the collection. Visitors, too, benefit from spatial information: being able to locate a plant and explore associated data—such as flowering times, height, or provenance—adds depth to their experience.

To support this, I tested interactive maps using the R libraries Shiny and Leaflet. These user-friendly tools allow both staff and visitors to explore the collections easily and meaningfully. The proof-of-concept maps below demonstrate how accessible and useful spatial tools can be for living collection curation and public engagement.

For example, try searching WILS in the Collector Code field to see all assets associated with renowned plant collector Ernest Henry Wilson. You can also search for a genus, such as Quercus, to view all oak specimens in the collection. This kind of search functionality enables users to discover historical connections, taxonomic patterns, and navigate the collection through different interpretive lenses.

Please note these tools can also be hosted on a local or institutional Shiny Server, making deployment extremely low-cost, especially for smaller or lower-capacity gardens. Because Shiny apps are written entirely in R, they integrate seamlessly with existing data workflows and can be adapted to different levels of complexity or technical expertise. Whether used for staff curation, research, or public engagement, Shiny offers a flexible and affordable solution for bringing plant collection data to life.

Explore the Maps

Note: This is a proof-of-concept app hosted on shinyapps.io. It may take a few seconds to load, and total monthly usage is limited.