Founded by William Roscoe ( 1753-1831) in 1802, and one of the oldest horticultural collections in Britain.
By 1807 the Collection contained more than 4,000 different plants, particularly ‘useful’ (economic) plants which Roscoe believed could increase Liverpool’s prosperity. For example as food, fibres and medicines. Roscoe was an expert botanist, poet and politician. Sefton Park Palm House and Croxteth Park Walled Garden maintain the surviving Liverpool Collection, under licence from the City Council. Roscoe’s Herbarium has its home at World Museum Liverpool. Liverpool holds Plant Heritage Collections for Dracaena, Codiaeum, Coleus and Bromeliads
http://palmhouse.org.uk/the-plants/