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Season’s Greenings: Dino-mite!

Celebrate the holiday season in our annual holiday display “Season’s Greenings” with the Conservatory full of poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants. In the outdoor gardens, find festive lights and decor throughout plus our model train show. This year, G-gauge model trains will chug through displays of dinosaurs made from plant parts, including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Velociraptor, and more, plus living plants whose ancestors lived alongside them such as cycads, ferns, and magnolias! The Garden will stay open late seven evenings on Dec. 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, and Jan. 1; and will be closed on Dec. 25.
Location: Conservatory

Traveling Exhibits

Learn about exhibits developed by the U.S. Botanic Garden that are available for your garden or museum to present

Amorphophallus Conference 2025

Join us November 5-6, 2025, for two days dedicated to Amorphophallus conservation, organized by the United States Botanic Garden and BGCI-US, hosted at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California

Landscape For Life™

Harness nature’s power to create a healthy, beautiful home landscape Gardens are a gift, providing backyard beauty, a pleasant atmosphere and often, food for the table.

Growing Together: A Toolkit for Convening a Garden-based Learning Summit in Your Region

This toolkit, created in partnership between City Blossoms, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, and the United States Botanic Garden, provides guidance on planning and implementing regional gatherings for garden-based learning professionals. It is designed to support organizations interested in convening garden-based learning organizations across their regions to deepen community and connections, promote resource sharing and exchange of best practices, and provide inspiration for garden-based learning professionals.
Cover of Growing Together - A toolkit for convening a garden-based learning summit in your region

Field Trip Experiences

Learn about the types of field trips offered by the U.S. Botanic Garden and register your class or students for a trip.

Plants and Climate Change Education (PLACCE)

Educating public audiences about the connection between plants and climate change can help cultivate scientifically-informed understandings of the importance of plants in the context of our changing world.
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Season's Greenings 2023

Join us for our annual holiday show featuring model trains in the gated outdoor gardens, festive lights throughout the Garden, and the poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants inside the Conservatory. G-gauge model trains circulate through displays of pollinators made from plant parts, ranging from oversized models of native U.S. flowers like milkweed and bats pollinating a banana to an orchid bee pollinating a vanilla orchid flower, a chocolate midge pollinating a cacao flower, a lemur pollinating a traveler’s tree flower, and more!
5 red poinsettia plants on the left, with creamy white poinsettias on the right

Become a U.S. Botanic Garden Volunteer!

Volunteers are a crucial part of the U.S Botanic Garden community. Through their time at the Garden, volunteers develop new skills, explore their personal interests, and make significant contributions that enable the Garden to fulfill its mission. Volunteering is a great way to meet others and connect with the community. Have you ever wondered how you could be part of the experience?
Three visitors, an adult woman and two children visit the "Discover Bees" cart, where a volunteer is educating about bees and their relationships to plants.

Urban Agriculture

Since the U.S. Botanic Garden’s creation 200 years ago, one of the Garden’s primary functions has been growing and demonstrating plants to tell the story of agriculture and economic plants to the public.

2024 Urban Agriculture Resilience Program

The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and American Public Gardens Association (Association) are awarding support to 26 public gardens and their community partners engaging in urban agriculture, food-growing, and related education work.
Five people stand in a field, holding large garlic plants

Join us for an Earth Day event!

Join us for an Earth Day event! We have lots of programs on-site and online all week long, from composting and sustainable gardening and landscaping to tree conservation and family activities!
the sun shines through the leaves of a tall tree in a garden, with a large ornamental fountain behind

The Children's Garden

Kids are invited to see what's in bloom, dig, plant, water, and touch and smell the plants in the Children's Garden.
A girl uses a blue watering can to water a young plant

Grow

Get help with your plant questions
multiple yellow and pink coneflowers, with petals 2 and 3 inches long around a brown central cone

Houseplants

Our top 10 recommendations for houseplants
a plant about 1.5 feet tall with long stems with small 2 inch long leaves all along the stems

USBG Volunteer Categories

Learn more about the two categories of volunteer positions at the USBG - Public Engagement and Hands-On Gardening.

Tours at the U.S. Botanic Garden

There is so much to take in at the U.S. Botanic Garden! Tours provide more information about the Garden’s plants and collections.

A “Blue Rooster” Comes to U.S. Botanic Garden from National Gallery of Art

There’s now a second “blue rooster” on the National Mall. A 4” model of the famous Hahn / Cock sculpture on the roof of the National Gallery of Art’s East Building is now perched on an East Building replica inside the United States Botanic Garden. And both the building model and the Hahn / Cock model are made from plant parts.
A 4" blue rooster model made from plant parts sit atop a model of the National Gallery of Art made from plant parts
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Orchids: Masters of Deception

Orchids captivate and enthrall people around the world. They also captivate and lure pollinators – sometimes through fascinating, beautiful deceit! Join us as we showcase some of the unique, bizarre, and intriguing orchid adaptations that deceive pollinators looking for food, mates, locations to lay their eggs, and more. Explore thousands of orchids in this 29th annual joint orchid exhibit between the U.S. Botanic Garden and Smithsonian Gardens.
Location: Conservatory

Corpse Flowers

Learn about the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) collection at the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Kids and Families

The U.S. Botanic Garden is a living museum that welcomes kids of all ages. Be sure to look for special programs and events happening during your visit, and take advantage of activities and a special garden made just for kids!
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Fierce Flora: Tales of Survival and Demise

Most plants are relatively harmless, but beware some of the unique survival features plants have evolved to defend themselves against herbivores, infection, and plant competitors! Explore this new multisensory exhibit that shares the ferocious side of the bright and beautiful plant world. Plants have engaged in a millennia-long evolutionary struggle with their animal and plant competitors, and some people can experience negative consequences from touching, consuming, or, in rare cases, sitting beneath them. But some of the chemicals that cause harm can also be used for human good: more than half of pharmaceutical drugs are originally derived from plants. It’s a plant’s world; we are just living in it!
Location: Conservatory
illustration of multiple bell-shaped flowers up a single vertical stem

Schools & Families

Whether through science, art, storytelling, or curiosity, our gardens offer amazing opportunities for plant-based learning.

On-Site Activity Resources

Students on Self-Guided Exploration field trips and families visiting with children can take advantage of the U.S. Botanic Garden’s plant passports, field journals, and more to make their visit participatory, fun, and educational.

New U.S. Botanic Garden Exhibit Spotlights “Fierce Flora”

Washington – A new exhibit at the United States Botanic Garden showcases the ferocious side of the bright and beautiful plant world! “Fierce Flora: Tales of Survival and Demise” opens to the public Sept. 27, 2024, in the Conservatory East Gallery.
two young women tap a button to test the speed of their reaction against the speed of carnivorous plants
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"Season's Greenings" holiday exhibit 2024

Our popular annual holiday display “Season’s Greenings” features model trains in the gated outdoor gardens, festive lights throughout the Garden, thousands of poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants inside the Conservatory. On the lawn in the gated outdoor gardens, G-gauge model trains circulate from 10:00-5:00 daily through displays of pollinators made from plant parts. These scenes range from oversized models of native U.S. flowers like milkweed to an orchid bee pollinating a vanilla orchid flower, a chocolate midge pollinating a cacao flower, a lemur pollinating a traveler’s tree flower, and more! The Garden will be closed on December 25.
Location: Outdoor Gardens
a sculpture made from plant parts shows a green-blue bee landing on a yellow vanilla orchid flower

Accessibility at the USBG

The U.S. Botanic Garden strives to make its collection, programming, and facilities accessible to ensure a successful museum visit for all visitors.

Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens

This favorite “secret” garden of Washingtonians, is across Independence Avenue from the Conservatory. Here visitors will find modern sustainable gardens surrounding the historic Bartholdi Fountain. The gardens suggest interesting plants and innovative designs at a scale suitable for the home landscape.

Special Summer Evening Hours at U.S. Botanic Garden

On the third Thursdays in June, July, and August 2024, the Garden will stay open until 8 p.m. for visitors to enjoy the golden hour and sunset amidst summer flowers and the USBG plant collection from around the world. All areas of the Garden will stay open until 8 p.m. on June 20, July 18, and August 15, 2024.
Two young women look at tropical plants in the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory

U.S. Botanic Garden Shifts Open Hours to 11-6 for July, August 2024

For most of July and August 2024, the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) will shift open hours for the Conservatory to 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. From July 8 through August 30, the shifted hours will allow the USBG to replace the greenhouse glass roof in the Conservatory Garden Court.
Conservatory Garden Court with a long pool and fountain and pink flowers surrounding

Heat Zones, Plant Health, and the AHS Heat Zone Map

With tools like the USDA plant hardiness map, we typically only consider low winter temperatures as the primary metric by which we determine which plants to sow. However, we might benefit from incorporating summer temperature trends, like the information presented in the American Horticultural Society’s heat zone map, into our planting decisions. With summer temperatures spiking to record highs due to a changing climate, the impact of high heat on plant life is becoming increasingly relevant to growers.
U.S. map showing colored heat zones

U.S. Botanic Garden summer exhibit spotlights four local organizations enriching communities through plants

In a special outdoor summer exhibit, the U.S. Botanic Garden is spotlighting four local organizations enriching their communities through plants, urban agriculture, and food growing. From June to October 2024, “Cultivate: Growing Food in Urban Gardens” shares the stories of a diverse tapestry of urban agriculture through local gardens and greenspaces supported by Washington D.C. community groups through special outdoor installations on the USBG Terrace. Organizations showcased include Building Bridges Across the River, City Blossoms, The Green Scheme, and Washington Parks & People.

Summer Evening Hours!

The Garden will be open until 8 p.m. on the third Thursdays in June, July, and August 2024. The Garden will stay open until 8 p.m. on June 20, July 18, and August 15, 2024, for visitors to enjoy the golden hour and sunset amidst summer flowers and the USBG plant collection from around the world. Lemonade, botanical non-alcoholic mocktails, and snacks will be available for purchase. Learn more
Two young women look at tropical plants in the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory

Partnerships

The U.S. Botanic Garden collaborates with other public gardens, federal and municipal agencies, and nonprofit organizations to achieve shared goals through projects that have wide-reaching impacts.

2024 Crop Wild Relative Symposium

Collaborating to Conserve North America’s Crop Wild Relatives and Wild Utilized Plants Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado September 17-19, 2024

Frostbitten Flora - What Happens To Plant Cells When It Freezes?

Even with spring quickly overtaking winter in the Mid-Atlantic, many gardeners are still monitoring frost dates. An unexpected late freeze could have detrimental effects on spring plantings. Freezing temperatures present a specific set of challenges to flora that can only be understood when seen at the cellular level. It can cause damage or fully kill a plant. So what happens to a plant’s cells when the temperature falls below freezing?
electron microscope image showing plant cells before and after freeze damage

Wildland Gathering - 2024 CWR Symposium

A Wildland Gathering to celebrate Indigenous wild plant foraging will be convened by the Flower Hill Institute. The Wildland Gathering will include Tribal representatives from across North America and facilitated discussions will focus on North American Indigenous foragers and gatherers of wildland plants.
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"Cultivate: Growing Food in a Changing World" exhibit

Agriculture impacts everyone’s daily life and not just because of the food we eat. Explore the galleries and gardens to learn how inventive ideas in agriculture, both scientific and social, sustain and enrich life and how growing and cooking food connects people with each other and communities.
Location: Conservatory

Funds Awarded to 26 Urban Agriculture Projects Led by Public Gardens and Community Partners

The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and American Public Gardens Association (Association) are awarding support to 26 public gardens and their community partners engaging in urban agriculture, food-growing, and related education work. The 26 awards total $445,600 in support for public garden partnerships across the United States that will foster public engagement and education in urban food growing and build capacity in urban agriculture programs. The Urban Agriculture Resilience Program aims to strengthen collaborations, promote resilience, and gather best practices from across the U.S.
Five people stand in a field, holding large garlic plants

Funds to Preserve Global Plant Biodiversity Awarded to Five Botanic Gardens

Washington – The Global Genome Initiative for Gardens (GGI-Gardens), Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), BGCI-US, and the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) are pleased to announce five awards to botanic gardens and arboreta in five countries to collect and conserve plant diversity. The GGI-Gardens Awards Program supports activities to preserve Earth’s genomic biodiversity of plants through sampling of living collections maintained at botanic gardens around the world.
A girl wearing a cap inspects a pink flower while surrounded by tall green grass-like leaves

Smithsonian Gardens and U.S. Botanic Garden To Present 28th Annual Orchid Exhibition

Smithsonian Gardens and the United States Botanic Garden will present “The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration” from Jan. 27 through April 28, filling the entire Kogod Courtyard of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery with around 350 live orchids. The display will feature a series of newly commissioned and loaned works by contemporary multimedia artist, Phaan Howng, to help audiences visualize the future of orchids and be inspired to take action toward a sustainable future.
whie and green orchids against a purple and black swirled backdrop, with pink and blue swirled paint below

Plant Collections

The living collection of the U.S. Botanic Garden is the foundation of the institution. Maintaining an ordered, documented, labeled collection of living plants is essential to the Garden's mission of promoting botanical knowledge.

About Us

Learn about the United States Botanic Garden's history and mission.

Programs and Events

Interested in learning more about plants? Come join us for a program! With a huge range of offerings including workshops, children’s programs, cooking demonstrations, highlights tours, free concerts, and more, there’s something for everyone at the U.S. Botanic Garden!
Three women plant a plant in a ball of moss

Programs page backup

Interested in learning more about plants? Come join us for a program! With a huge range of offerings including workshops, children’s programs, cooking demonstrations, highlights tours, free concerts, and more, there’s something for everyone at the U.S. Botanic Garden!

Plant Science Conversations: Hemp Innovations (Online Discussion)

During this online discussion, join Dr. Heather Grab in conversation with botanist and USBG Executive Director Dr. Susan Pell as they discuss Dr. Grab's research on the diverse and innovative products sourced from hemp and how one crop can have far-reaching impact.
Bees land on flowers of four green hemp plants

“Season’s Greenings” at U.S. Botanic Garden to spread cheer Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day

Washington, D.C. – The popular annual holiday display “Season’s Greenings” at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) will run from Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 2023, through New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2024, closed on Dec. 25. G-gauge model trains will run between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day in the gated outdoor gardens, and the Conservatory will feature poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants.
a sculpture made from plant parts shows a green-blue bee landing on a yellow vanilla orchid flower

2023 Urban Agriculture Resilience Program

Seven botanic gardens received support in 2023 to build capacity and leadership in urban agriculture through a partnership of the United States Botanic Garden (USBG), the American Public Gardens Association (Association), and Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG). The Urban Agriculture Resilience Program Capstone program awarded each garden $50,000 along with one-on-one mentoring support to sustain and institutionalize each garden’s urban agriculture work. Additionally, the group met quarterly as a cohort for training throughout 2023, including a two-day, in-person training at CBG’s Windy City Harvest program.
Five women hold harvested carrots above their heads

Field Trip Logistics

Field Trip Guidelines - expectations, guidelines, bus and arrival information
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The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration

Smithsonian Gardens and the United States Botanic Garden will present “The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration” from Jan. 27 through April 28, 2024, filling the entire Kogod Courtyard of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery with around 350 live orchids. The display will feature a series of newly commissioned and loaned works by contemporary multimedia artist, Phaan Howng, to help audiences visualize the future of orchids and be inspired to take action toward a sustainable future.
Location: Off-site
whie and green orchids against a purple and black swirled backdrop, with pink and blue swirled paint below

Teacher Training at the U.S. Botanic Garden

The U.S. Botanic Garden offers special workshops throughout the year for teachers on how to use the Garden as an extension of the classroom and engage students in plant-based learning.

D.C. Teachers Night

The U.S. Botanic Garden hosts D.C. Teachers Night each year in the Conservatory. Meet D.C.-area environmental educators to find out how to get your students learning about the outdoors and how to bring the environment into the classroom.
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"Season's Greenings" holiday exhibit 2022

The U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) offered a garden-wide “Season’s Greenings” holiday display in 2022, running from Thursday, Nov. 24, through Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, closed Dec. 25. As part of the festivities, G-gauge model trains ran between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day in the gated outdoor gardens and the Conservatory featured poinsettias, holiday decor, and D.C. landmarks made from plants.
Location: Outdoor Gardens

Korean Dishes with Magpie and the Tiger (Online Cooking Demo)

Join Chefs Caleb and Roren to see a demonstration of sweet potato two ways: japchae (sweet potato noodles and mixed vegetables) and goguma mat tang (candied sweet potatoes), highlighting the use of sweet potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, and more!
A man and woman cook in a kitchen

Congressional Events

Information about Congressionally sponsored evening events at the U.S. Botanic Garden

Poinsettias flourish at U.S. Botanic Garden

The gardeners have grown almost 2,000 poinsettia plants to brighten up the United States Botanic Garden Conservatory's annual holiday exhibit "Season's Greenings." An expert team at USBG cares for the annual poinsettia crop with daily attentiveness starting in July.
a bed of red and white poinsettias

Seasonal Summer Eats (Online Cooking Demonstration)

Join Danielle and Adrienne for two peak-of-summer recipes: one sweet, one savory, and both delicious. The Tomato Trifecta with Bucatini Pasta and Basil Drizzle recipe showcases vine ripe tomatoes. Summer’s Peak Crostada highlights stone fruits, such as peaches and plums. Learn about growing and selecting summer bounty for optimal flavor, substitutes, optional additions, and much more! Presenters: Danielle Cook, MS, Nutritionist, and Cooking Instructor, and Adrienne Cook, Gardening and Cooking Writer This program was recorded on August 5, 2022. Find upcoming programs at www.USBG.gov/Programs
a bowl of pasta with red sauce and a pie with lattice crust

U.S. Botanic Garden Taps New Technologies To Grow Plant Education

The Learning and Engagement team has embraced new technology and instructional approaches to successfully offer more than 200 programs online, engaging more than 17,500 participants from all 50 states and 27 countries. The team has also developed live virtual field trips for schools, engaging more than 4,000 students from throughout the D.C. area and from states ranging from Florida to Maine.
Grace Anderson adjusts the camera and laptop for an online horticultural education program.

Eco-Printing with Flowers (Online Demonstration)

Join An to explore an exciting and approachable style of natural dyeing: eco-printing. In this online demonstration, An will share a variety of plants and flowers that can be used for eco-printing, focusing on plants you can view on a visit to the U.S. Botanic Garden outdoor gardens. An will demonstrate eco-printing, in which plant matter is placed on top of fiber, bound, and then steamed, whereby color and form are transferred to the cloth. Finally, participants will learn about treating the fiber to keep color in place.

yellow flowers on a square cloth

Spring Fling (Online Cooking Demonstration)

Looking for a main-dish salad that celebrates herbs and a “mess”y dessert from across the pond? Then join the Cook Sisters as they welcome spring with two dishes – one savory, the other sweet – that truly capture the season’s bright flavors. The salad, replete with savory fresh herbs and featuring smoked fish, makes a great luncheon or light diner. The dessert, known as the Eton Mess, is an intense combination of meringue, whipped cream, and the season’s best berries.

A white baked dessert is topped with strawberries and a salad features mixed vegetables

U.S. Botanic Garden Helps Veterans with Urban Farming

Armed to Urban Farm is a new program presented by the U.S. Botanic Garden and the National Center for Appropriate Technology to teach veterans about urban farming careers providing opportunities for military veterans that combine classroom sessions with farm tours and hands-on activities.

Ask an Expert: Indoor Plant Health Care (Online Q&A)

Are your houseplant's roots rotting? Do you have spider mites munching? You're not alone! Pests and pathogens plague all indoor plants, from those living in studio apartments to the more than 65,000 plants in the USBG collection. Join Chelsea to learn how pests and pathogens are managed in the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory. Chelsea will share some of the unique challenges faced in the USBG's greenhouses and take questions about your indoor plant concerns. Presenter: Chelsea McKinley, USBG Plant Health Care Specialist This program was recorded on Thursday, May 26, 2022. Find upcoming programs at www.USBG.gov/Programs
two plant parts are spliced together and held together with a wrap

Ask an Expert: Growing Orchids at Home (Online Q&A)

Orchids are beloved blooms, but their care can be confounding. Join Terry to ask your questions about growing orchids at home. From fabulous Phalaenopsis to delightful Dendrobiums, after this Q&A you'll feel confident in caring for your home orchid collection. Presenter: Terry Hodge, U.S. Botanic Garden Gardener This program was recorded on Thursday, March 24, 2022. Find upcoming programs at www.USBG.gov/Programs
Ask an Expert: Growing Orchids at home thumbnail image

Intro to Air Layering Propagation (Online Demo)

One plant, two plant, three plant, four! Air layering is an easy way to propagate some of your favorite flora. Join Carl to learn how to propagate both indoor and outdoor plants with this simple technique. What will you do with all of your new plants? Presenter: Carl Johnson, USBG Gardener This program was recorded on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Find upcoming programs at www.USBG.gov/Programs
a gardener wraps moss and plastic wrap around a plant cutting
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Discover the World of Orchids

This winter, explore the fabulous world of orchids at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG)! This year’s joint orchid show celebrates the diversity of orchids found throughout the world. One of the largest plant families in the world, orchid shapes, sizes, colors, scents, and more vary greatly! Throughout the Conservatory, thousands of orchid blooms will showcase the USBG and Smithsonian Gardens’ extensive orchid collections. Join us to celebrate these fantastic flowers!
Location: Conservatory
Purple orchids with many water drops

Outdoor Gardens

The gated outdoor gardens, opened in 2006, feature the Regional Garden of Mid-Atlantic native plants, the Rose Garden devoted to the U.S. national flower, the Pollinator Garden, and the First Ladies Water Garden.

Field Trips & Resources

Field trips, both in-person and online, make the U.S. Botanic Garden an extension of your classroom.

Native Plant Recommendations

Explore lists of plants from our Regional Garden of Mid-Atlantic native plants for you to try in your own garden.

2021 Urban Agriculture Resilience Program

The United States Botanic Garden and American Public Gardens Association are collaborating to support public gardens and their community partners engaging in urban agriculture and food-growing to address food security challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Botanic Garden Production Facility

Our Production Facility is the largest greenhouse complex supporting a public garden in the United States. The greenhouse, completed in 1993, includes 85,000 square feet under glass divided into 34 greenhouse bays and 17 environmental zones.

Cultivating Carnivorous Plants

Carnivorous plants fascinate with how they lure, catch, kill and digest insects. There are more than 720 species of carnivorous plants, many with astounding adaptations to inhospitable habitats.

Learn

Led by experts in their fields, our programs and events offer something for every age, interest, and skill level. With so many options to choose from, you will find something that teaches you more about the wonder of plants at the Garden!

Contract Opportunity : Curriculum & Training Plan for Volunteer Program

The U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) seeks a contractor to lead a collaborative effort with USBG employees to redesign the USBG volunteer training program, including pre-service training for new volunteers and ongoing, in-service training for active volunteers.The objective is to create a flexible learning ecosystem and a culture of continuous professional learning to support the growth and development of the USBG volunteer program.

School Garden Guide

This guide will assist you with: starting a new school garden, maintaining an existing school garden; and providing high-quality garden-based instruction.

Program Recordings

Watch recordings of many of the Garden's past programs about gardening, plant care, talks by garden book authors, cooking with seasonal foods, and more.

Conservatory

The permanent exhibits in our Conservatory will take you around the world all year long. It houses collections of plants from subtropical, tropical and arid regions and showcases orchids, medicinal, economic, endangered, and Hawaiian plants.
Conservatory Garden Court with a long pool and fountain and pink flowers surrounding

History of the U.S. Botanic Garden

Established in 1820, the United States Botanic Garden is the oldest continuously operating public garden in the United States. The Garden is rooted in the nation’s heritage. During the late 18th century, George Washington had a dream of a national botanic garden and was instrumental in establishing one on the National Mall in 1820.

Gardening Tips

Find basic gardening tips from the U.S. Botanic Garden.
A clump of yellow flowers with short petals arranged in a ray

Gardens & Plants

Any time of year, you'll see something beautiful in bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory, outdoor gardens, and Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens!

Plant Conservation

In the United States, about three out of every 10 plant species are threatened.

Conserving North America’s Native Orchids

The North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the U.S. Botanic Garden to conserve, cultivate and restore North America’s native orchids.

Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden

The Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that supports the educational outreach activities at the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Take a Virtual Tour

To get a feel for what you might see when you come to visit the U.S. Botanic Garden, we encourage you to take our virtual tour. You’ll get a peek at our Conservatory, gated outdoor gardens, and Bartholdi Fountain and Gardens, but the plant displays and exhibits are likely to be different each time you come.

Gardens

From roses to orchids, the rainforest to the Mid-Atlantic, rare and endangered plants to the latest in home gardens, you will find a world of plants and environments in our permanent exhibits and gardens.
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Corpse flower bloom 2013

Titan Arum: Amorphophallus titanum is known as the titan arum, or corpse flower, because at full bloom, the inflorescence is said to smell like a large rotting corpse. The U.S. Botanic Garden has displayed these amazing blooming plants in 2003, 2005 and 2007, 2013, and 2016.
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Season's Greenings: All Aboard! 2018

This year, explore America by train as our annual holiday show Season's Greenings showcases historic railroad stations across the country. In our model train show, trains chug around, below, through, and above plant-based recreations of iconic depots from across the United States. View thousands of blooms throughout the Conservatory, including a showcase of heirloom and newly developed poinsettia varieties. Join us as we celebrate the holidays and America's natural and cultural treasures.
Location: Conservatory
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Discover the World of Orchids

Come explore the fabulous world of orchids! In celebration of the U.S. Botanic Garden’s bicentennial year, our orchid show celebrates plant exploration and the diversity of orchids found throughout the world.
Location: Conservatory
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You Can Grow It!

The world of horticulture is for everyone -- those with green thumbs and those green with envy. Growing and caring for plants might seem daunting, but this exhibit will help experienced and novice gardeners alike have more fruitful indoor and outdoor gardening experiences. Wander the exhibit gallery and outdoor gardens to explore the basics of growing plants and investigate solutions for many common plant problems. Along the way, discover foolproof plants, learn about the right plant for the right place and person, and even pick up a few specialty horticulture techniques for plants requiring a little extra care. Whatever your skill level, You Can Grow It has something for you!
Location: Conservatory
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It's Hip to Be Square: The Mint Family

Did you know that coleus, sage, and rosemary are all in the mint family (Lamiaceae)? This plant family contains many culinary herbs. This plant family contains many culinary herbs. Mint family members are usually aromatic, have square stems, and opposite leaves. Most people know about Mentha (peppermint and spearmint) and Salvia (sage) species, but there are over 230 genera and more than 7,000 species in the mint family. Come explore this beautiful exhibit to learn about the interesting plants in this unique family. This exhibit was on display in the Conservatory's South Lobby.
Location: Conservatory
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Outdoor Holiday Display 2021

The U.S. Botanic Garden featured an outdoor holiday display in 2021 with festive adornments, lighted trees and shrubs, and an outdoor train display throughout the outdoor gardens.
Location: Outdoor Gardens
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Season's Greenings: America's Gardens

Join us to explore botanic gardens from Hawaii to Maine in this year’s Season’s Greenings holiday show! Plant based recreations of conservatories, fountains, and sculptures will fill the model train room.These will include iconic gardens scenes like Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s vibrant red Japanese torii gate, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ flamingo topiaries, Missouri Botanical Garden’s famous Climatron conservatory, and Huntsville Botanical Garden’s Rocket Gardenfeaturing NASA space nodes and rockets! The Conservatory will be filledwith thousands of flowers, including a showcase of heirloom and newly developed poinsettia varieties. Our collection of D.C. landmarks made from plant materials will return to fill the Garden Court, and the West Gallery will feature a decorated tree with its own model train. Join us as we celebrate the holidays and America’s beautiful and diverse public gardens.
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U.S. Botanic Garden Celebrates 200th Anniversary

For 200 years, the Garden has shared the beauty and usefulness of plants with the world. Join us on a journey of plant exploration, and challenge yourself with plant science interactives, three-dimensional sights, infamous smells, and more! Learn more about the rich history and developing future of the USBG in this two-part exhibit.

Butterflies in the Garden

To attract a diversity of butterflies and other pollinators in your garden, select a variety of plants with different floral colors, shapes, sizes, and bloom times.
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Flora of the National Parks

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, this art exhibit showcases some of the plant species and communities found throughout the more than 400 national park sites.
Location: Conservatory
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Exposed: The Secret Life of Roots

Plant roots are vital components of the earth’s ecosystem. They are necessary for plant growth, including the production of food and nutrients for humans and many other organisms. However, as root systems are out of sight, their beauty and importance often go unnoticed. This exhibit used the work of agricultural ecologist Dr. Jerry Glover, sculptor Steve Tobin, and photographer Jim Richardson to showcase the importance of roots through visually stunning root representations.
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Celebrating New American Gardens exhibit

Public gardens across America are engaging, inviting, and dynamic. Gardens are living creations, as they display seasonal changes along with a constant ebb and flow. This exhibit celebrates American gardens created or renovated within the last five years. These gardens showcase new plant collections, create spaces for people to connect with nature, and foster sustainability. Come explore what's new in public gardens!

Sustainability at the U.S. Botanic Garden

Big changes start with small steps – individuals, families, businesses and governments can all make a difference in improving our planet’s potential to provide for generations to come.

Sustainable Solutions at the U.S. Botanic Garden

At the U.S. Botanic Garden, we live what we preach. And, like our visitors, we know that living sustainably is a process. We are continually learning and expanding our conservation and sustainability practices.

USBG at Home

Explore photo and video updates from around the Garden!

Become a Junior Botanist

Visit the U.S. Botanic Garden and check out a Junior Botanist Backpack Adventure Kit. You must be nine or older and be accompanied by an adult with an official ID (such as a driver’s license).

The Sustainable Sites Initiative™

The most comprehensive system for developing sustainable landscapes, the SITES v2 Rating System, has been released by the Sustainable Sites Initiative(tm) for use by landscape architects, designers, engineers, architects, developers, policymakers and others who work in land design and development.

2020 Urban Agriculture Resilience Program

The U.S. Botanic Garden partnered with the American Public Gardens Association (the Association) to offer immediate support to urban agriculture and other urban food-growing programs at public gardens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Annual Joint Orchid Show with Smithsonian Gardens: Orchids: Amazing Adaptions [at Kogod Courtyard]

Escape the winter cold and step into a floral oasis in the Kogod Courtyard with Orchids: Amazing Adaptations. A joint collaboration with Smithsonian Gardens, United States Botanic Garden, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and National Portrait Gallery, this installation fills the courtyard with hundreds of orchids of stunning variety. The installation showcases how orchids have adapted to their many different environments and can be found on every single continent except Antarctica. Orchids: Amazing Adaptations is part of Habitat, a Smithsonian Gardens–wide exhibition exploring the importance of habitats and how we can help protect them. Habitat is the first in a series of changing exhibitions connecting all of Smithsonian Gardens’ spaces with a single theme. From 2019 to 2020, Habitat will feature a variety of indoor and outdoor displays, exhibits, and educational programs.
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Botanical Art Worldwide: America's Flora

The United States Botanic Garden in collaboration with the American Society of Botanical Artists presents a juried exhibition of American native plant botanical artworks. The exhibit, on display in the West Gallery of the U.S. Botanic Garden, features 46 pieces depicting a diverse range of plants including trees, cacti, wildflowers, and more. These artworks were selected from a field of over 200 entries. Similar exhibitions will be held in 24 other countries, each highlighting plants native to their own country.
Location: Conservatory
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Wall Flowers: Botanical Murals

Stop and take a look at the murals covering our city walls and you’ll notice plants are often featured. Plants in murals communicate the aesthetic, ecological, and historic importance of plants in the urban environment. This exhibit features large-scale art by local artists who specialize in public murals that beautify our cities. Their murals depict plants using bold colors and monumental scale. The exhibit fosters creative conversations about botanical art and new ways to communicate the important roles plants play in our lives.
Location: Conservatory
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Orchid Spectrum

Come immerse yourself in our annual orchid show, presented in collaboration with Smithsonian Gardens. Found on every continent except Antarctica, orchids showcase a wide spectrum of diversity in color, shape, size, habitat, scent, and many other aspects. Visit the USBG Conservatory to explore thousands of amazing orchid blooms arranged in captivating displays, and appreciate many unique, rarely seen orchids from the USBG’s and Smithsonian Gardens’ extensive plant collections.
Location: Conservatory
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Orchids: A Moment

The 2017 Orchid Exhibit, a collaborative effort between Smithsonian Gardens, U.S. Botanic Garden, and Smithsonian Exhibits, was held in the Hirshhorn Museum for the first time. Exhibit designers from the Hirshhorn created artistic structures for showcasing the orchids that enabled visitors to move through the display and experience their own personal moment.
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Flourish Inside and Out

From a walk in the woods to strolling through a park, and from gardening at home to visiting a public garden, therapeutic horticulture, nature therapy, and accessible gardening connect people to nature and themselves.
Location: Conservatory
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Orchids in Focus exhibit

Orchids in Focus (February - April 2016) was the 2016 joint USBG-Smithsonian Gardens annual orchid exhibit. Orchids in Focus showcased how these exotic beauties have inspired artists and photographers for centuries and allowed visitors to immerse themselves in a floral paradise of orchids from the forest canopy down to the ground, and focus their own camera on these unique and beautiful plants.
Location: Conservatory
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Illustrating Hidden Treasures: Botanical Art by Wendy Hollender

Illustrating Hidden Treasures: Botanical Art by Wendy Hollender (West Gallery, September 1 - October 25, 2015) explored the belowground structures of plants through the botanical art of Wendy Hollender. On display in the West Gallery were several pieces by this celebrated artist who owns her own farm in the Catskills where she lives, farms, and draws
Location: Conservatory
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Plants in Culture - A Sensory Experience

(West Gallery, 2001-2015) emphasized the countless ways in which plants enrich human life. Sensory displays feature plants in therapy, ornamentation, music, ceremony, language and many other expressions of culture.
Location: Conservatory
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Orchids: Interlocking Science and Beauty

Orchids: Interlocking Science and Beauty at the National Museum of Natural History was the 2015 joint Smithsonian Gardens and U.S. Botanic Garden annual orchid exhibit. The 2015 exhibit explored how new ideas, technologies, and inventions are changing the way we study, protect, and enjoy orchids.
– Open Ended

Plants In Print: The Age of Botanical Discovery - broken links

The advent of book publishing ushered in an exuberant age of plant exploration and discovery. Plants in Print: The Age of Botanical Discovery, a collaboration between the U.S. Botanic Garden and the Chicago Botanic Garden, shares the rich history of botany and plant exploration with a nationwide audience.
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Savage Gardens

Savage Gardens provided a special look into the captivating, and bizarre, world of carnivorous plants and their astounding adaptations to inhospitable habitats. Hungry for more? Don't miss the time lapse video of a sundew trapping a fruit fly.
Savage Gardens
– Open Ended

Slow Life - broken external link to plantsinmotion

Slow Life is a window into the world of plants. It accelerates the time-scale of plants into our own frame of reference, speeding up their everyday lives to a pace that resonates with our own. This online guide to the lives of plants is based on the traveling exhibit developed by the U.S. Botanic Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden and Indiana University. https://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/usbg/
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Orchids: Hidden Stories of Groundbreaking Women

“Orchids: Hidden Stories of Groundbreaking Women” unearths stories of women who have enriched our understanding and appreciation of orchids. Despite their remarkable achievements in art, botanical illustration, orchid cultivation and scientific discovery, many of the featured women have not received the recognition they deserve. “Orchids: Hidden Stories of Groundbreaking Women” highlights these unsung horticultural heroines and solidifies their ongoing influence on orchid collections. Visitors can see the exhibit and its accompanying orchid display at the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, shared by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. This exhibit is a collaboration between U.S. Botanic Garden and Smithsonian Gardens.

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