在总结中国植物园发展历史及当前国际植物园发展趋势的基础上，论述了中国植物园面对对世纪所必须重视的5个方面。（1）植物园整体质量和特征化，作者列举了10个方面的差距。（2）药用植物的栽培、利用和保护。从药用植物分类学研究，有效成分的分析及动态研究，药用植物栽培化和“地道药材”问题4个方面论述植物园的优势和潜力。阐明了“栽培化”的涵义。（3）引种和物种保护，指出广泛引种的重要性和重点种类迁地保护的必要性，并首次提出了“濒危生境”这个术语及其概念。指出了未来引种理论研究的方向及其对农业生产的意义。（4）活植物收集圃信息系统。（5）科普教育。作者认为，虽然不少植物园目前还面临着或多或少的困难，但就整体而言，未来的10年将是植物园继续较大发展的10年。

Based on the summarization of the development of Chinese botanical gardens and the review of the current trend of botanical gardens in the world, the authors indicated that facing the 21st century, five aspects of tasks should be undertaken by Chinese botanical gardens: (1) Characterization and promotion of the integrate quality of botanical gardens. A comparison was mentioned on ten aspects of botanical gardens management, function, content and landscape between Chinese ones and advanced ones in the world.(2) The cultivation, utilization and conservation of medicinal plants. The superiority and potentiality of botanical gardens were discussed from new viewpoints of research on taxonomy, dynamic of effective components, cultivatization (broad sense of cultivation) and "indigenous drugs" of medicinal plants. The meaning of cultivatization was particularly explained. ( 3 ) To promote the research of plant introduction and plant conservation to higher level. The authors indicated both the significance of extensive plant introduction especially the native plants in botanical gardens and the importance of ex-situ conservation of genetic biodiversity of selected species in strictly scientific way. A new term "Endangering habitat" was delivered and the direction of the theoretical research of plant introduction as well as its significance on agricultural development were discussed (4 ) The establishment of the living collections information system. ( 5 ) Education in botanical gardens. Finally, the authors thought that though there are still difficulties for many botanical gardens in China, there should still be a considerable development of botanical gardens in China during the next decade.