Andersen Horticultural Library Off-campus

Located at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Andersen Horticultural Library (AHL) is a reference library specializing in horticulture, botanical art, plant sciences and natural history. 

In addition to the reference collection, custom-built Nakashima furnishings make this space a welcoming retreat for reading and reflection.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Collections

Digitized collections

Andersen Horticultural Library's digitized items are freely available online through the UMedia Archive.

Special Research Collections These collections can be viewed by appointment.

Seed and Nursery Catalogs

One of North America's largest seed and nursery catalog collections with over 76,000 items dating from 1614 to the current year.  More than 8,000 firms are represented.

Rare books and journals

Rare books and journals on horticulture, botany, garden design, botanical art and illustration, trees, birds, flowers, and other natural history subjects from the early 1500s to the present.

The Library collection is a rich resource for everyone from the weekend gardener planning a perennial border to the professional horticulturist.  

Its collection of nearly 20,000 books and 300 subscriptions to magazines, newsletters, and scientific journals provides information and inspiration.  

Areas of specialization include

  • horticulture,
  • botany,
  • landscape design,
  • botanical illustration,
  • garden crafts,
  • cookbooks, and
  • natural history.  

Included is a children's collection of books for readers of all ages. 

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Events

Photograph of person reading to a group of children and their adults

StoryTime

StoryTime at the Andersen Horticultural Library is now every Thursday, and the last Friday of each month at 10:30 a.m. 
We’ll celebrate plants, nature, and foster a love of reading as we explore the library's vast catalog of children’s books. StoryTime is recommended for ages 0-5, but all ages are welcome!

 

Hand drawn illustration of a pink and white tree peony

Call for artists

Artists from around the world are invited to show us the best of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s flora and fauna. Information about this joint project, as well as submission guidelines are available at Flora & Fauna Illustrata.

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Exhibits

Iris and lepidoptera illustration from the Metamorphosis exhibit.

Metamorphosis: Maria Sibylla Merian’s Art and Impact in Minnesota

Visit Andersen Horticultural Library’s new exhibit “Metamorphosis” to explore the groundbreaking life and work of artist and naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, her impact on our knowledge of metamorphosis, and how her art and science has inspired artists and authors in Minnesota!

Exhibit is open July 15, 2025 through January 5, 2026.
Botanical illustration of two apples growing on a branch

8th Annual Flora & Fauna Illustrata

Delight in the world of botanical art during the 8th Annual Flora and Fauna Illustrata exhibit from the Andersen Horticultural Library. Get a glimpse into the process artists use to create exquisite, scientifically accurate representations of the plants and animals found at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. From aeonium to wisteria, experience nature through the eyes of the artist as they capture the beauty and detail of their chosen species.

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Give to the collection

The Andersen Horticultural Library relies on the generosity of the community to help fund its operations.  Your funds to help us get books, seed and nursery catalogs, and journals unique to our collection. Benefactors ensure our library's ability to educate and inspire.

Make a gift or become a Friend of AHL today.

Explore ways to give

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Visit the Andersen Horticultural Library

Plan your visit

Located in the Leon C. Snyder building at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the Andersen Horticultural Library is open to the public. There is an admission fee for entry to the Arboretum, but it is waived for visitors who come only to research at the library. Get directions to the Arboretum, or view an interactive map of the Arboretum grounds. 

AHL is part of the University of Minnesota Libraries. A reading and reference library; items cannot be checked out.  Search the library's holdings by using the University Libraries' catalog.

To make an appointment to view rare and historic materials, contact the librarian, Kristen Mastel.

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