Chenshan Botanical Garden boasts a wide collection and ebullient display of plants native to East China. It is currently home to approximately 10,000 plant species.

Since 2005, Chenshan Botanical Garden has been sending collection teams around the world to collect plants of economic, scientific and gardening value, including Magnoliaceae, Roseceae, Cerasus, Malus, Iris, aquatic plants, xerophilous plants, herb plants, economic plants, rare and endangered plants, and other plants of a particular family or genus, categorized by plants or greenhouse plants.

Island plants

The collections of unique island plants are a defining characteristic of Chenshan Botanical Garden. The plants collected so far include Cinnamomum japonicum, Neolitsea sericea, Carpinus putoensis, Vitex rotund folia and many others, which are either plant species worthy of protection or of aesthetic value.

Endangered plants

The garden has successfully introduced 421 species of rare and endangered plants, more than 200 species of which are open to visitors. Among them, Glyptostrobus pensilis, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Calycanthus chinensis, Sinojackia xylocarpa, Heptacodium miconioides, Yulania amoena, Acer griseum, Gleditsia japonica var. velutina, Carpinus putoensis are endemic to China.

Salvias

The garden houses over 57 species of Salvia which originated from over twenty-one different regions across China. Some of them are endemic plants, such as Salvia meiliensis, S. yunnanensis, S. prattii and S. sonchifolia.

Irises

The genus of Iris is also well represented within the garden, with over 40 species and 600 varieties such as Pogon Irises, Japanese Irises, Louisiana Irises, Siberica Irises. Rare species including Iris Hawaiian Halo, Iris ensata Tyouseiden, Iris Destiny's Call, and Iris Silver Edge can also be found.