The use and scope of the Garden changed significantly, when it was relocated from its original spot-on campus to the Strawberry Canyon location where it is still located today.

• “In addition to carrying on Burtt-Davy’s work, [Harvey M.] Hall was unofficially put in charge of both the Herbarium, housed after 1907 in the Hearst Mining Building, and the Botanical Garden, and he made major contributions to both these facilities of the Department…Hall also lobbied successfully for setting aside the present Strawberry Canyon site as the future location of the Botanical Garden. The Garden then was located in the glade now partially occupied by the Moffitt Undergraduate Library.” [4] 

• Harvey M. hall was the Instructor of the Department of Botany and Assistant Botanist in the Experiment Station from 1902 until 1919. [4]

The Gardens expanded drastically upon this move, and started forming the garden as it is known today into geographical regions spread amongst the vast land in Strawberry Canyon. Here, the Garden had room to significantly expand both its resources and functions. 

• “Their organization of the collections by geographical affinity, rather than by groupings of taxonomic relationship or economic usage, was a major departure from the traditional layout of the botanical gardens” [5] 

Beyond the Department of Botany, which eventually dissolved into different majors under the broader College of Natural Resources, the Botanical Gardens were–and continue to be– an important resource for many Berkeley classes in terms of providing materials and research facilities.

• “In 1957, Professor Goodspeed was succeeded as director by Dr. Herbert G Baker, who emphasized use of the Garden as a teaching and research facility for students and faculty. The Garden began to grow and provide plants for class use on the lower campus and the economic plantings of useful plants were established Plants of horticultural origin gradually were replaced by corresponding materials from wild sources, thus improving the research potentials of the collection and providing the basis of the strong scientific collection now present.” [5]

• “In 1958-59 Herbert G. Baker, a University of Leeds-trained “genecologist” (or “evolutionary ecologist” as he later preferred to be called so as not to be mistake for a gynecologist), gave up a chair in newly liberated Ghana to assume directorship of the Botanical Garden. Under the day-to-day management of Anton Christ, the Garden had played an increasingly important role as a provider of research and class materials.” [6]

But one of the biggest changes in the Garden was its increasing community outreach and usage, which eventually became just as, if not more, important as use for the UC Berkeley community. It has grown into being an educational resource for the community around Berkeley, providing programs and tours to schools within the area. This shift started happening in the 1960s and 70s, and has continued to grow since. The Newsletters of the Friends of the Gardens from 1976 and 1977 evidence this growing educational and community-based outreach. 

• “In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s under Dr. Watson M. Laetsch, the Garden began to provide programs responsive to community needs outside the University while preserving the important University-related research and educational functions.” [5]

• “A Teachers’ Workshop involving twenty-two teachers from seven nearby school districts was held at the Botanical Garden on July 15 and 16…The group had another all-day workshop at the Garden on Aug. 24 and will meet at regular intervals throughout the year with the resource representatives from the Garden and from the campus Education Department to develop their curriculum units and to package them so that they can be utilized by other teachers.” [7]

• “During the past school year, the Botanical Garden and the Mather Grove ponds were used by professional biologist and Docent Erika Kunkel for elementary school programs involving the Orinda and Berkeley school districts.” [7]

The Garden also started expanded for the purpose of serving the broader Berkeley community in many ways beyond just educational services. They started hosting events like graduations, forming programs and creating jobs for a wide range of community members:

• “Programs of interpretation and public education were developed, in large part for school children. The meeting room, teaching glass-house and Tropical House project were built. Docent programs were initiated and volunteers began to provide invaluable support to Garden programs and operations.” [5]

• “This summer we have had working in the Garden 3 on the Work Study Program, 3 from the Youth Employment Services (YES), 3 from the Work Incentive Program (WIN), 4 from the Spanish Speaking Unity Council, as well as 2 volunteers. Each has worked under the supervision of a regular Garden staff member.” [8]

• “The 27 graduating seniors majoring in Botany held a formal graduation ceremony in the Townsend Amphitheatre on June 19. Following the ceremony a reception was held in the meeting room.” [9] 

The Master Plan of 1980 identifies the dualistic educational and community-based role of the Garden, describing how:

• “The Garden holds an uncommon mixture of academic and public interest…” [10] 

Now, the Garden has a whopping 10,000 types of plants and sits on 34 acres of land in Strawberry canyon. It is organized in 9 regions of naturalistic plantings and still serves both the University and larger Berkeley community [1]. It offers a variety of courses, tours, programs and fun activities for the local community and still provides many plant resources and materials for Berkeley courses. There are fun events like succulent plantings, and the garden even hosts art exhibitions from local artists on occasion. 

• "The recently opened installation owes its 1,368 distinctive glass rods, and its name, to Solyndra -- the failed solar company that received a hefty sum in federal loan guarantees before going bankrupt and becoming a favorite target for critics of President Obama's energy policy. When the Fremont-based solar company went under, it left behind millions of 39-inch glass tubes custom-made for its signature solar panels. Husband and wife design partners Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello got the rods from a storage company that ended up stuck with thousands of pallets of them and created the installation in the Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley." [11]

The Garden's location change, from on campus to not far from it, perfectly encapsulates its shifting role as well. Once entirely made for and used by the Department of Botany on campus, to now functioning just as much for the community as it does the University, the Botanical Garden has become an invaluable resource for Berkeley as a whole. ​​