Botanical Garden & Arboretum Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a botanical garden & arboretum business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for botanical gardens, arboreta, and public gardens. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual grounds, collections, and events.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial General Liability | Covers visitor injuries from falling limbs, trips, water features, and events. | Core | |
| Property (Buildings & Conservatory) | Covers glasshouses, visitor centers, and equipment — confirm hail and wind for glass. | Core | |
| Workers' Compensation | Required by law; grounds staff use chainsaws, lifts, and pesticides. | Core | |
| Directors & Officers | Covers board decisions and disputes with donors or landowners. | Core | |
| Plants, Trees & Living Collections | Standard property often excludes plants and trees — rare collections need specific coverage. | Prevalent | |
| Equipment Breakdown | Covers greenhouse heating, cooling, and irrigation failures that can kill plants. | Prevalent | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits for a serious tree-fall injury or large event. | Prevalent | |
| Business Income | Replaces admissions and event income after a storm closure. | Prevalent | |
| Liquor Liability | Needed for weddings, rentals, and events with alcohol. | Situational | |
| Pollution / Pesticide Liability | Covers pesticide drift and chemical release claims. | Situational | |
| Abuse & Molestation | Needed for school field trips and children's programs. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap most often missed by botanical gardens is the living collection. Most property policies exclude or tightly limit plants, trees, and shrubs, so a freeze, greenhouse system failure, or storm can wipe out irreplaceable collections with little recovery. Falling limbs are the second exposure — a branch killed a visitor at Kew Gardens, and documented tree inspections are often what wins or loses these claims. Schedule living collections, add equipment breakdown, and keep an arborist's inspection record.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your botanical garden & arboretum coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Botanical Garden & Arboretum Insurance · Botanical Garden & Arboretum Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a botanical garden & arboretum business need?
The core coverages for a botanical garden & arboretum business are Commercial General Liability, Property (Buildings & Conservatory), Workers' Compensation, Directors & Officers. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my botanical garden & arboretum coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.