Replanting the Future: Oxford’s Genetic Garden Enters a New Era

Since 1964, a patch of 0.15 hectares in the University Parks, adjacent to the Science Area, has been called the Genetic Garden. Originally set out as a garden for teaching and research in the new science of plant genetics, the garden has fallen into disuse and been replanted several times.

The Genetic Garden is now being replanted again, with work on clearing and replanting started in February 2026. The project is expected to take two years to complete. As the garden matures, visitors will be able to learn interesting facts about hybridisation and plant breeding, genetic variation and the environment, grafting, and what plants can do and still survive when things go wrong.

An exciting development took place earlier in the year, when the Parks took possession of the 53 plants that make up the Plant Heritage National Collection of hardy Tradescantia. Tradescantia is genetically interesting, not least because it was an early (pre-1940s) model for investigating plant hybridisation and the transfer of genes from one species into the gene pool of another species through breeding programmes. 300 chrysanthemums and 100 dahlias have also been planted with more to come!

Tradescantia purple

Tradescantia

Tradescantia white