Welcome
George Washington University's Wilbur V. Harlan Greenhouse is a 1,600 square foot plant and insect research facility that sits atop the Science and Engineering Hall on the Foggy Bottom campus. Construction on the greenhouse began in 2015 and we received our first plant material in February of 2017.
The plants we cultivate in the greenhouse all have a specific purpose. Some are a part of active faculty research, much of it focusing on Chesapeake Bay ecology. We also grow all of the host and food plants for the insect research of our entomology faculty. The greenhouses house live fish, bees, caterpillars, and butterfly as a part of active research.
We support student research from students of all departments. The Aquaponics system designed and built here in the greenhouse by School of Engineering undergraduate students won our 2018 Research and Development Showcase! We also cultivate plants that our biology students can study, such as angiosperms that represent all 12 types of floral morphs. Our entire third bay is a teaching collection representing plant evolution, showing how plants have evolved over the last 400 million years.
The links above allow us to share our information in an easy accessible way - to help you locate plants, faculty and student research, and become familiar with the layout of the greenhouse.
Please browse, explore, and enjoy.