The Grass Collection at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum became part of the Plant Collections Network in January 2012. This collection is unique in North America, and rivals others worldwide. Botanic gardens often include displays of grasses with perennials, however none are as extensive or well documented in the U.S. as the collection at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Begun in 1987 as a research project under the management of Dr. Mary Hockenberry Meyer, it continues today as a research and reference collection for graduate students as part of a USDA Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station project. Currently the collection comprises 197 taxa represented by more than 800 individual plants. More than 350 taxa have been evaluated over 30 years for winter hardiness and landscape use. The Grass Collection continues to be a popular visitor area at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.