The Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IVF-CAAS) - founded in 1958, is a national, non-profit and multi-disciplinary institution in the fields of vegetable and flower research. It is dedicated to applied and applied basic research according to the urgent and significant needs of vegetable and flower industry and the development of vegetable and flower science to create important applied technology and basic theory, promote the development of scientific achievements, organize national key research program, carry out scientific training and exchange, edit and publish horticultural periodicals and books, and cooperate with domestic and overseas counterparts. It is the only research institute in China that can confer Ph.D degrees in vegetable sciences.

Currently, there are more than 207 staff numbers including scientists, technicians, and support workers, of which, there are 53 research professors and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The Institute is divided into ten departments: Department of Germplasm Resources, Department of Crucifers Genetics and Breeding, Department of Solanums Genetics and and Breeding, Department of Cucurbits Genetics and Breeding, Department of Potato Breeding and Cultivation, Department of Vegetable Cultivation and Post-Harvest Technology, Department of Plant Protection, Department of Ornamental Horticulture, Department of Biotechnology, and Department of Quality Safety and Testing Technique.

The institute possesses 12,340 square meters of research facilities and 121 hectares of experimental farms, including 130,176 square meters of sunlight greenhouses and plastic tunnels. The institute is equipped with 1691 large pieces of instruments or equipments and contains 13,000 volumes of books and subscribes in the library. The national vegetable gene bank (medium term) is located at the institute. It holds 38,000 accessions of vegetable germplasm resources.