The Herbarium (ALA) contains more than 200,000 specimens of non-vascular and vascular plants and is the only major research herbarium in Alaska. The collection also includes plants from other states, Canada, Greenland, Fennoscandia, Japan, and Russia and provides a basis for teaching and research

The systematic collection of dried plants is a permanent physical record of Alaska's flora. Specimens are labeled with information about where, when, and by whom each specimen was collected as well as notes on its ecology. These data are computerized, allowing rapid access to information pertaining to the geographic extent, habitats occupied, and associated plants for any species.