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U.S. Botanic Garden

U.S. Botanic Garden The U.S. Botanic Garden, created in 1820, is dedicated to demonstrating aesthetic, cultural, economi

The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is the oldest continuously operating public garden in the United States, founded in 1820. The Garden informs visitors about the importance, value and diversity of plants, as well as their aesthetic, cultural, economic, therapeutic and ecological significance. With more than a million visitors annually, the USBG strives to demonstrate and promote sustainable

practices. The Garden is a living plant museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and Botanic Gardens Conservation International.

Operating as usual

Our Children's Garden has opened for the season, and we are excited to welcome you and your little humans back to this s...
04/22/2022

Our Children's Garden has opened for the season, and we are excited to welcome you and your little humans back to this space tailored to give them a place to interact with plants and gardening! The Conservatory is open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.

Happy Earth Day! How about a heart-shaped leaf to celebrate Earth Day? This vibrant pothos (Epipremnum aureum 'Neon') in...
04/22/2022

Happy Earth Day! How about a heart-shaped leaf to celebrate Earth Day? This vibrant pothos (Epipremnum aureum 'Neon') in our Garden Court caught the attention of visitor Anita Kobylińska. Hope you can share some love for plants around you this Earth Day!

Join us in celebrating National Volunteer Week with this Volunteer Spotlight! Mildred Long has volunteered helping with ...
04/22/2022

Join us in celebrating National Volunteer Week with this Volunteer Spotlight! Mildred Long has volunteered helping with festivals since 2006.

What is your favorite part of the Garden?
My favorite part of the Garden is the jungle/Tropics house.

What’s the most fun thing you do while volunteering?
I love the special festivals that the Garden has during the year. I love greeting our visitors and interacting with the children. I try to make our visitors feel that they’re our special guests and it could not have happened if they weren’t in attendance. I also love to dance when the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra is playing. I truly am a “Gourd Groupie.”

What is your favorite plant?
I love the Cacti family.

What does volunteering at the Garden mean to you?
The Garden is my “Peace of Mind.” When I’m volunteering at the Garden, it’s as if I’ve stepped into an oasis of tranquility and beauty -- a place where I can visit plants from other countries without having to leave the Garden. The Garden is my happy place. It brings me great joy to see our visitors take delight in the beauty of the Garden, and what makes it even more special is that it’s all free to them. The Garden has a lot to offer to everyone. Clocking my volunteer hours wasn’t important to me because the Garden is my “Magical Place.” It’s where you can always find happiness.

Thank you to Mildred and all of the USBG volunteers!

It's National Volunteer Week, and we are thrilled to celebrate the many USBG volunteers! Morris Klein has volunteers wit...
04/21/2022

It's National Volunteer Week, and we are thrilled to celebrate the many USBG volunteers! Morris Klein has volunteers with the Gardens & Grounds Horticulture team since 2003.

What is your favorite part of the Garden?
I truly enjoy all sections of the Garden, for I become engrossed in witnessing the cycle of plant life and its symbiosis with birds and insects. Now the miracle is spring growth mysteriously and rapidly popping up out of the earth and as buds on the many trees. Over the years I have volunteered in Bartholdi Gardens, in the gated outdoor gardens, the Rain Garden, and the Terrace Gardens abutting the outside of the Conservatory. I get a feeling of accomplishment and that in helping the gardening employees I have place and purpose.

What’s the most fun thing you do while volunteering?
I enjoy the opportunity to work outside to help make the Garden beautiful and to witness nature – a bee pollinating the indigo plant, the swallowtail butterflies flying near the butterfly and cotton ball bush, to hear the myriad of song birds, and to note that the bed I assisted in preparing is now bursting forth in color. I appreciate the kind manner of both employees and visitors as I clean the beds.

What is your favorite plant?
My favorite plant is seasonal. In the spring I like seeing the beautiful iris display, in the summer I am fascinated by the cotton ball plant and the butterflies it attracts, in the fall I enjoy the striking color of the Stokes Aster and the Hostas and in the winter I enjoy seeing the small birds eating the hanging pomegranates.

What does volunteering at the Garden mean to you?
Being retired and in my 80s, while working in the garden I commune with nature, relax, and enter a light meditative state. In seeing over time how the Garden responds to the attention given to it by the staff and myself and noting how the visitors respond I feel we have done something important and we have honored the public through nurturing life and beauty.

Thank you to Morris and all the USBG volunteers!

04/21/2022

Glide through some tulips (Tulipa spp.) with us!

Join us in celebrating National Volunteer Week with this Volunteer Spotlight! Pat Pileggi has volunteered as a docent, l...
04/21/2022

Join us in celebrating National Volunteer Week with this Volunteer Spotlight! Pat Pileggi has volunteered as a docent, leading tours of the Conservatory and Barrtholdi Fountain and Gardens since 2018.

What is your favorite part of the Garden?
My favorite part of the conservatory is the Plant Adaptations room; I’m amazed at how different species form symbiotic relationships with each other and love telling stories to visitors about those relationships. I love visiting Bartholdi Gardens in February just to smell the incredible aroma of witch hazel, a sign that Spring is just around the corner.

What’s the most fun thing you do while volunteering?
When not giving tours, and just walking through the Conservatory, I enjoy when visitors ask me about a plant that I’m not familiar with. On the rare occasion that a plant is not labeled, I use my iNaturalist app to identify the species and share the information with the visitor. Sharing that learning experience is always fun.

What is your favorite plant?
In Plant Adaptations, it’s a toss-up between the bullhorn acacia (Vachellia cornigera) and the ant plant (Hydnophytum formicarum). I enjoy telling the stories about the specific adaptations of these plants and the symbiotic relationships these plants have with insects.
In the Orchid house, my favorite is Darwin’s orchid (Angraecum susquipedale), an incredible story about how species co-evolve and how the scientific community persists in uncovering that story.

What does volunteering at the Garden mean to you?
I enjoy volunteer activities that include a learning component, and the U.S. Botanic Garden does that; there is always something new to see and learn about. I also like the social component of the Garden, engaging with visitors, and the wonderful group of volunteers and staff.

Thanks to Pat and all of our USBG volunteers!

04/20/2022
Ask an Expert: Outdoor Pest Management (Online Q&A)

Are bugs bugging you? Rodents wreaking havoc? You're not alone! Pests plague every garden, big and small. Join Emily as she shares how pests are managed at the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum -- a space shared by many people, plants, and animals -- and takes questions about your garden concerns.

Presenter: Dr. Emily Mueller, Plant Health Care Specialist at the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum

This program was recorded on Friday, March 25, 2022.

Find upcoming programs and recordings of previous programs at www.USBG.gov/OnlinePrograms

It's National Volunteer Week, and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate the many USBG volunteers! Here's a short inte...
04/20/2022

It's National Volunteer Week, and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate the many USBG volunteers! Here's a short interview with volunteer Meg Lawrence. Meg has been volunteering since 2009 with our Horticulture Collections Team at the Production Facility and the talking with visitors at Discovery Carts.

What is your favorite part of the Garden?
My favorite part of the garden is the Garden Court. I always find it cheerful.

What’s the most fun thing you do while volunteering?
I have the most fun working behind the scenes at the Production Facility, but the Busse Cart [about the building models made from plants] is equally as fun during the holiday show.

What is your favorite plant?
My favorite plant is the coffee tree.

What does volunteering at the Garden mean to you?
Volunteering allows for personal growth and knowledge, and it creates an opportunity to share the joy of the USBG with others.

Thank you, Meg, and all of the U.S. Botanic Garden volunteers!

The USBG Gift Shop run by the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden and REWILD is now open daily! Offerings include plants,...
04/19/2022

The USBG Gift Shop run by the Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden and REWILD is now open daily! Offerings include plants, botanical prints, souvenir magnets, and many more botanical offerings. Find the shop in the West Gallery of the Conservatory from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. daily alongside the “Cultivate: Growing Food in a Changing World” agriculture exhibit.

Spring flowers and vibrant new leaves are everywhere throughout the native plants in our Regional Garden! Join us for th...
04/19/2022

Spring flowers and vibrant new leaves are everywhere throughout the native plants in our Regional Garden! Join us for this photo tour for some of the many blooms, including flowering dogwood, rhododendrons, buckeye, and more!

Join us Saturday for "Unexpected Spring Foraging," a free online program with Alexis Nikole Nelson . She’s fabulous, fun...
04/18/2022

Join us Saturday for "Unexpected Spring Foraging," a free online program with Alexis Nikole Nelson . She’s fabulous, funny, and a forager — join Alexis for an exploration of some of the surprising edible plants you can find in D.C. and the Mid-Atlantic region this spring. Alexis will share her foraging expertise to help you find some scrumptious plant-based delicacies. Spring is here -- let's eat! Register at https://app.livestorm.co/u-s-botanic-garden/unexpected-spring-foraging-online-lecture?type=detailed

Intended Audience: All-Levels.

DATE: Saturday, April 23
TIME: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
LOCATION: online
FREE: Pre-registration required. Register at https://app.livestorm.co/u-s-botanic-garden/unexpected-spring-foraging-online-lecture?type=detailed

Join Thomas Thursday at 10:30 am for a live online program to find out what’s happening this spring in the Kitchen Garde...
04/18/2022

Join Thomas Thursday at 10:30 am for a live online program to find out what’s happening this spring in the Kitchen Garden! Get tips on vegetable garden preparation, spring crops, and planning ahead for the summer season. Come with your questions and leave with expert advice to make your vegetable garden thrive!

Presenter: Thomas Crawley, Advanced Gardener
Intended Audience: All Levels.

Ask an Expert: Spring Kitchen Garden Preparations (Online Q&A)
DATE: Thursday, April 21
TIME: 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. ET
LOCATION: online
FREE: Pre-registration required. Register at https://app.livestorm.co/u-s-botanic-garden/ask-an-expert-spring-kitchen-garden-preparations-online-q-and-a?type=detailed

Address

100 Maryland Ave SW
Washington D.C., DC
20001

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12022258333

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Comments

Wheat and corn from Kansas on display at the U.S. Botanic Garden. This year’s holiday train display theme: farming around the world! 🌽
Snowdrops blooming at the U.S. Botanic Garden
Art imitating reality. Capitol and Capitol. Loved our visit on Tuesday this week....Marijo Cosmas
Tonia and Cat Young tell us about the Inala Jurassic Garden's involvement in the global genome project with U.S. Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International and Global Genome Biodiversity Network.



Video by Brad of Pademelon Creative
Trains and farm scenes from the U.S. Botanic Garden's annual holiday display! Running daily from 10am to 5pm through January 2nd, this is one of our favorite traditions 🚂🎄

📷 Amber McFadden
Why are all the other states which have botanical gardens having their regular indoors greenings AND indoor train displays but this one is only having everything outside in the cold?
Another long standing, special tradition, the trains at U.S. Botanic Garden return for 2021! A celebration of agriculture around the world.
Looking for affordable outings this season to explore? Don’t forget about you Smithsonian museums in DC where entry is free! You won’t want to miss this beautiful train display at the U.S. Botanic Garden
The arrival of the first frosts recently has us reminiscing of warmer days, and thinking about our rockstar plants that performed so well.

This lovely group of purple poppy mallows (Callirhoe involucrata) were spotted at the U.S. Botanic Garden in DC over the summer. Just a delightful plant that doesn’t mind the hot, dry sand.

Now that most things are done blooming, let’s reflect…Did you plant something new, or something you unexpectedly enjoyed? Tell us in the comments below!👇👇👇
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Wing it to Washington! When you’re ready to see D.C., flying BTR’s a capital idea! Make a short hop on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines or United
to reflect at magnificent memorials, explore the U.S. Botanic Garden, or learn about language at Planet Word Museum. For convenience, BTR wins by a landslide. Visit https://www.flybtr.com.
We love this simple sidewalk planting of purple fountain grass, coral , and lantana at the U.S. Botanic Garden. All of these plants appreciate fertile garden soil amended with products such as Black Gold Compost Blend, Garden Soil, or Peat Moss.
Plants


A New Movie Proposal

By

James T. Struck BA, BS, AA, MLIS


In a less competitive image of flowers, plants, angiosperms, gymnosperms, we introduce 50 different plants to the world to help people learn about plants. The different plants from roses, tulips, herbs, geraniums, daisies, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, lilies, violets, corn, apple trees, orange trees, flowering trees introduce themselves and talk about their existences and histories. The movie does not involve racing or competition just 10-50 flowers talking about themselves.

The movie viewers leave the movie theater feeling “Good I just learned about 10-50 different plants and flowers”

James T. STruck BA, BS, AA, MLIS
PO BOX 61
Evanston IL 60204

What do you think?
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