Botanic gardens and arboreta are amongst our most loved public spaces. There are over 2500 botanic gardens and arboreta across the world visited by an estimated half a billion people each year. In addition to their cultural value, botanic gardens and arboreta undertake world‐leading scientific research to address global challenges. This virtual issue highlights key articles that feature research linked to the work of botanic gardens, arboreta and herbaria. The papers give a sense of the diverse research endeavours of these institutions, from evaluating biodiversity loss, and conservation of critically endangered species through understanding the importance of ecosystem services that plants provide to people and addressing societal and global challenges.