Seasonal Displays
Staff work year-round to plan, coordinate and maintain the vibrant colors, blended textures and forms of elaborate temporary plantings. The Skyline Garden, Perennial Garden, and Rose Garden are some of the areas where sweeping displays of annuals and perennials are changed twice a year to help provide inspiring landscapes.
In areas where a punctuated pop is needed, decorative planters overflow with colorful combinations of foliage and flowers accentuating their surroundings. In the spring during Atlanta Blooms!, the gardens are bursting with tulips in all colors and forms. They are carefully selected to help maximize the season by blending types that bloom early while there is still a chill in the air to the late season when the weather is beginning to warm.
Witch Alder
These flowers found by the Gainesville Stream Garden are both delightfully fragrant and beautiful.
Learn More
Paperbush
Explore the Gainesville Stream Garden and discover these tiny blossoms native to Asia.
Learn More
Tall Stewartia
Find these beautiful blooms by the bubbling Gainesville Stream Garden in summertime.
Learn More
Creeping Mazus
A perfect little groundcover to fill space along the edge of a stream or between stepping stones in a rock garden. It also features small purple flowers in late spring/early summer.
Learn More
Hoary Mountain Mint
Discover this native mint perennial while strolling through the Glade Garden.
Learn More
Aphrodite Hybrid Sweetshrub
A different form of sweetshrub than we all may have been used to. This hybrid of a Chinese species and a western U.S. native species forms a rather large shrub up to 8 feet in height or larger. The blooms start in summer and continue on and off throughout the season. It boasts very large flowers that resemble red magnolias, which appear amid glossy, tropical-looking foliage.
Learn More
Hybrid Deciduous Azalea
Marvel in wonder while passing through the Woodland Promenade at these absolutely breathtaking azalea blooms .
Learn More
Doublicious Bigleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea ‘Doublicious’ is a compact reblooming deciduous shrub that is able to bloom on both old and new wood. It is a favorite of staff and visitors with its unique starry double-petaled flower clusters that cover the plant throughout summer into fall. The color can range from pink to blue depending on the soil ph but In our native soils, they are a lovely purplish-blue.
Learn More
Skinner’s Banana Shrub
Visit this shrub covered in tiny white blossoms while strolling on the Woodland Promenade.
Learn More
Early Spiketail
Though there are many different Stachyurus species in Asia, Early Spiketail is perhaps one of the showiest and most widely found. This is a slower growing plant in the landscape that eventually reaches heights up to 10 to 12 feet.
Learn More
Evergreen Magnolia Hybrid
Bask in the beauty of this hybrid magnolia flowering by the Gainesville Amphitheater.
Learn More
Chaste Tree
The plant gets its name from the belief that it is an anaphrodisiac (decreases libido). This aromatic shrub of the mint family is produces masses of showy flower spikes that attract butterflies and other pollinators. In warmer climates, it can be trained to grow as a small, single trunk tree or a large shrub.
Learn More
Hummingbird Flower
Be sure to check out this unique flower designed to attract hummingbirds by the Gainesville Event Lawn.
Learn More
Mountain Gordlinia
Take in the beautiful yellow blossoms on this hybrid cultivar next to the Forest Pond.
Learn More
White Texas Star
Come and visit this beautiful hibiscus with massive blooms flowering near the Forest Pond.
Learn More
Ever Red Fringe Flower
Experience this unique, vibrant Chinese native flower blooming near the Gainesville Visitor Center.
Learn More
Chinese Cotoneaster
Discover this beautiful berry bush when in bloom near the Gainesville Ivester Visitor Center.
Learn More
Mountain Sagewood
Discover this lesser-known butterfly bush that smells of honey when in bloom in the Gainesville parking area.
Learn More
Constellation® Dogwood
This stately hybrid in the Trustees Garden and Children's Garden beckons with large white blooms in spring.
Learn More
Swamp Hibiscus
Discover this showy summer wonder near the pond in the Lou Glenn Children's Garden.
Learn More
Smooth Coneflower
This federally listed species is a focal species for prairie and woodland restoration conducted with partners.
Learn More
Chapman’s Fringed Orchid
Platanthera chapmanii is an imperilled orchid with a widely scattered coastal distribution across the southern United States. Seeds from this orchid have been collected for safeguarding in our seed bank as well as propagated in our Micropropagation Lab for outplanting.
Learn More
Pink Butterwort
This sly carnivorous plant in the Conservation Garden attracts, traps and consumes flies with sticky leaves.
Learn More
Desert Rose
With flowers as beautiful as they are toxic, this popular "rose" can be found in the Desert House of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
Learn More
Pachypodium species
Look, but definitely don't touch this prickly succulent in the Desert House of the Dorthy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
Learn More
Madagascan Periwinkle
This cancer-fighting flowering plant is also appreciated as an ornamental plant with a long flowering season. Find it in the Desert House of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
Learn More
Jade Vine
Find this aptly described, vibrant blue-green vine in the Special Exhibits Room of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
Learn More
Sealing Wax Palm
Discover this once vulnerable palm in the Special Exhibits room of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
Learn More
Nutmeg
Nutmeg and mace come from the same Indonesian evergreen tree but are now cultivated around the world. See it in the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory Orangerie.
Learn More
Cinnamon
Cinnamon comes from a tree species originally discovered in Sri Lanka, which still produces the majority of the world's supply. Discover it yourself in the Orangerie of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
Learn More
Herrania balaensis
The Tropical Rotunda is home to an endangered evergreen treasured for its flavorful fruit.
Learn More
Livin’ Easy® Floribunda Rose
A gorgeous gradient of apricot and orange, this Rose Garden showstopper offers a fruity fragrance on early summer mornings.
Learn More
Shrub Rose
A thornless rose? Absolutely! Find this favorite peaking around Mother's Day in the Rose Garden.
Learn More
Early-Flowering Borage
Trachystemon orientalis is a great ornamental ground cover for dense shade. A sign that spring is on the way, this perennial sends up electric-blue flowers, a color rarely seen in the plant kingdom, even before it has a single leaf in the early spring and eventually forms a dense ground cover in the Conifer Garden.
Learn More
Knap Hill Red Azalea
Summer brings out the fragrant, bright red blooms of this hybrid on the Azalea Walk in Storza Woods.
Learn More
Smiling Monkey Tree
The lemon-scented blooms of this magnolia in the Glade Garden of Storza Woods attract guests in late winter.
Learn More
Ostrich Fern
The tallest native fern in North America impresses with near-vertical 3-feet-tall in cultivation in the Channel, Boardwalk and Beechwood Overlooks of Storza Woods.
Learn More
Chinese Witch Hazel
Follow your nose to the Channel, Boardwalk and Beechwood Overlooks of Storza Woods, as this fragrant bloomer attracts guests in early to midwinter.
Learn More
Fortune’s Holly Fern
Find this fern in the Bowl Garden, where its bright green fronds stand out in the early spring in Storza Woods.
Learn More
Plumleaf Azalea
A last hoorah of summer color, the bright red flowers of the plumbleaf azalea bloom on the Azalea Walk in Storza Woods long after its woodland cohorts.
Learn More
Japanese Spikenard
The striking golden foliage of the 'Sun King' stands out in the Channel, Boardwalk and Beechwood Overlooks of Storza Woods.
Learn More
Kelsey’s Flame Azalea
You can't miss the bright orange blooms of this native azalea hybrid when it flowers in Storza Woods.
Learn More
Henry’s Maple
This classic maple near the Channel, Boardwalk and Beechwood Overlooks in Storza Woods might not catch your eye until fall when it's ablaze in shades of red.
Learn More
Redvein Enkianthus
This shrub of red and pink blooms loves the shade of the Channel, Boardwalk and Beechwood Overlooks in the Gardens in Storza Woods.
Learn More
Guilio Nuccio Variegated Camellia
A sign of the colorful spring to come, these showy, cool-weather blooms put on quite the show in the Camellia Walk.
Learn More
Natchez Crape Myrtle
Flanking the Crape Myrtle Allee, these classically Southern summer trees create an umbrella of beauty above the Garden's busiest thoroughfare.
Learn More
Switchgrass
The Levy Parterre boasts this dominant North American prairie grass that blooms in feathery plumes of purple whisps in fall.
Learn More
Strawberry Tree
It's easy to be fooled by the name of this compact tree in the Charleston Garden near Longleaf restaurant, but its fruit isn't quite what you'd expect.
Learn More
Garden Phlox ‘John Fanick’
The straight species of this plant are native to the U.S. in the Charleston Garden near Longleaf restaurant. These are a favorite of butterflies and bees during its long bloom season.
Learn More
Tree Ivy ‘Annemieke’
Is it a shrub or is it ivy? It's both, and you'll find it in Cox Courtyard.
Learn More
Giant Leopard Plant
Discover the large leaves and blooming flowers of this evergreen plant in the Cascades Garden.
Learn More
Pink Banana
Believe it or not, this plant in the Cascades Garden is, in fact, a banana, but you might regret trying the fruit if you ever get the chance.
Learn More
Voodoo Lily
Smell something rotten in the Anne Cox Chambers Southern Seasons Garden? It may be this unique plant also known as Devil's Tongue.
Learn More
Japanese stewartia
Find this camellia and its somewhat surprising summer blooms in the Anne Cox Chambers Southern Seasons Garden. Its Japanese name, natsu tsubaki, means “summer camellia” and refers to the early summer flowers that resemble those of camellias from which Its species name "pseudocamellia" is derived. This resemblance is readily understandable: both Stewartia and Camellia are members of the tea family.
Learn More
Rain Lily
Rain Lilies in the Anne Cox Chambers Southern Seasons Garden welcome summertime guests at the beginning of their Garden journeys.
Learn More
Swamp Magnolia
In their best season, May - August, you won't miss the lemon scent and beautiful blooms of the Swamp Magnolias near the Hardin Visitor Center entrance.
Learn More
Persian Ironwood
Spring and fall bring bright color to the Persian Ironwood tree near the Hardin Visitor Center.
Learn More
Paphiopedilum victoria-regina
Named for Queen Victoria in the 19th century, this Asian slipper orchid can be seen in the Orchid Display House.
Learn More
Stanhopea tigrina
See the largest flowers in the genus Stanhopea in the Orchid Display House.
Learn More
Pleurothallis cyanea
See the striking blue-green leaves of this medium-sized Pleurothallis in the Tropical High Elevation House
Learn More
Odontoglossum wyattianum
Find the colorful blooms of this showy orchid in the Tropical High Elevation House.
Learn More
Cyrtochilum macranthum
Look for dozens of large flowers growing on tree fern trunks in the Tropical High Elevation House.
Learn More
Joe Pye Weed
Mid-to-late summer is a splendid time to see this plant once used as medicine by Native Americans.
Learn More
Scheherazade Orienpet Lily
Enjoy the fragrance of these colorful, late summer to fall blooms in the Perennial Garden.
Learn More
Paw Paw
This native small understory tree is a favorite in the Orchard for bearing unusually shaped fruits and for its naturally pyramidal canopy structure.
Learn More
Thistle Cholla
This stand-out specimen in the Skyline Garden is lovely from a distance but watch out: This beauty bites.
Learn More
Rattlesnake Master
For a plant that's as interesting as its name, don't miss this unusual member of the carrot family in the Skyline Garden.
Learn More
Cherry Dazzle® Dwarf Crape Myrtle
You can't miss this electric pink flowers of this shrub-like tree blooming July - September on the always-colorful Anne Cox Chambers Flower Walk.
Learn More
Oakleaf Hydrangea
This color-changing hydrangea found on the Anne Cox Chambers Flower Walk is a deciduous shrub perfect for hedges, borders, specimen and accent pieces.
Learn More
Lady Banks’ Rose
Roses aren't just in the Rose Garden. Discover this late-spring bloomer on the Vine Arbor off the Great Lawn.
Learn More
Sweet Coneflower
Find these bursts of bright yellow, late-summer flowers in the Color Border by the Vine Arbor on the Great Lawn.
Learn More
Ryan’s Yellow Hardy Mum
Spot this pale yellow fall favorite in the Color Border by the Vine Arbor on the Great Lawn.
Learn More
Satsuki Azalea
Satsuki in Japanese refers to May, the month in which this hybrid rhododendron begins to bloom in the Japanese Garden.
Learn More
Lion’s Tail
The bright orange blooms of this South African plant attract pollinators to the Rock Garden.
Learn More