PEMB has about 4,500 specimens, and the collection focuses on flora of the Southeastern United States. Important collectors include Dr. Lisa Kelly (Flora of Huggins Island; Onslow County, North Carolina, USA), Elizabeth Workman (Floristic Survey of The Lumber River Conservancy's Sampson's Landing; Robeson County, North Carolina, USA), Linda Oxendine, and Robert Kral. In 2019 NCZP (ca 2600 specimens) was transferred to PEMB. The Zoo herbarium includes approximately 2600 specimen records, representing 1400 species. Most specimens were collected from the vicinity of the North Carolina Zoological Park just south of Asheboro (Randolph County, North Carolina, USA), but cultivated plants and exotic plants common to the diets of zoo animals are also in the collection. The collection was the brainchild of the herbarium’s first curator and primary collector, Pete Diamond. NCZP's second curator, Nell Allen, expanded the collection to document flora of natural areas managed by the Zoo. PEMB is open to visitors & researchers by prior appointment with Curator Dr. Lisa Kelly.