Blue Raster partnered with Holden Forests & Gardens to launch Flora Finder, an interactive mapping application that allows researchers, staff, and the public to explore over 20,000 plant and tree records across Holden Arboretum, Cleveland Botanical Garden, and the David G. Leach Research Station. Built using ArcGIS Experience Builder, Flora Finder includes information about plant records (taxon, condition, measurements, provenance, and more) and also displays trails, water features, and amenities including parking and restrooms throughout the campuses.
Along with Flora Finder, Blue Raster created a robust GIS system for staff to maintain their growing GIS datasets. This project was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Service’s Museums for America grant and allowed for Blue Raster to visit Holden Arboretum and Cleveland Botanical Garden to capture drone imagery. This current imagery is utilized in Flora Finder and across the organization’s GIS maps as a high-resolution basemap. Blue Raster also implemented a bidirectional sync between BG-BASE – a botanical collections management platform – and ArcGIS, which allows Holden Forests & Gardens to maintain their existing system-of-record while taking full advantage of GIS for interactive and modern applications and ArcGIS Field Maps workflows.
Flora Finder in Action
The application is designed for use on desktop and mobile devices, meaning whether a user is sitting at home or exploring the arboretum, they can see the most up to date information about plant records across the three campuses. Specific plants can be searched by common name, scientific name, or accession number.
See a flower icon on the map? You’ve found “It’s Poppin’”, a guide to exploring plant records across the campuses that have been highlighted by curatorial staff. These records will also likely include photo attachments, collected by staff and volunteers to showcase what these plants look like at their very best.
Don’t see a plant on the map? Click a white dotted garden bed to view a list of all plants in that location.
Along with the launch, the Arboretum will be hosting drop-in sessions to explore and get to know the application. This will allow visitors of all ages to explore not only the data about plants throughout Holden Forests & Gardens but see the value of a geospatially enabled application.
“This tool brings to life a decades-old dream,” said Ed Moydell, President and CEO of Holden Forests & Gardens. “Years ago, former Arboretum Director R. Henry Norweb envisioned a way for visitors to easily find any plant they wanted to see in our collections. With Flora Finder, that vision is now a reality. It not only helps guests connect more deeply with the plants they love but also enhances our team’s ability to care for them.”
Flora Finder is part of a broader effort by Holden Forests & Gardens to enhance visitor engagement and operational efficiency through modern geospatial tools. By integrating GIS across departments, the organization can better analyze plant health trends, track maintenance, and support long-term planning. Blue Raster provided training and documentation to ensure the Holden team can continue expanding their GIS capabilities with confidence. As public gardens evolve into dynamic, data-rich environments, tools like Flora Finder demonstrate how location intelligence can support both mission-driven storytelling and day-to-day operations. This collaboration underscores Blue Raster’s commitment to building sustainable, user-focused solutions for the public garden community.
Blue Raster has partnered with Public Gardens and Cemeteries for over fifteen years to bring GIS and mapping to everyday workflows. We design intuitive tools for staff to manage plant records, and interactive applications for the public to search and enhance their experiences. Learn more about our Public Gardens Practice here! Our team is featuring our gardens work at the 2025 Esri User Conference with a poster in the Map Gallery. View the poster here!