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.
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Paperbush

Explore the Gainesville Stream Garden and discover these tiny blossoms native to Asia.
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Tall Stewartia

Find these beautiful blooms by the bubbling Gainesville Stream Garden in summertime.
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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.
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Hoary Mountain Mint

Discover this native mint perennial while strolling through the Glade Garden.
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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.
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Hybrid Deciduous Azalea

Marvel in wonder while passing through the Woodland Promenade at these absolutely breathtaking azalea blooms .
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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.
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Skinner’s Banana Shrub

Visit this shrub covered in tiny white blossoms while strolling on the Woodland Promenade.
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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.
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Evergreen Magnolia Hybrid

Bask in the beauty of this hybrid magnolia flowering by the Gainesville Amphitheater.
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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.
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Hummingbird Flower

Be sure to check out this unique flower designed to attract hummingbirds by the Gainesville Event Lawn.
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Mountain Gordlinia

Take in the beautiful yellow blossoms on this hybrid cultivar next to the Forest Pond.
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White Texas Star

Come and visit this beautiful hibiscus with massive blooms flowering near the Forest Pond.
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Ever Red Fringe Flower

Experience this unique, vibrant Chinese native flower blooming near the Gainesville Visitor Center.
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Chinese Cotoneaster

Discover this beautiful berry bush when in bloom near the Gainesville Ivester Visitor Center.
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Mountain Sagewood

Discover this lesser-known butterfly bush that smells of honey when in bloom in the Gainesville parking area.
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Constellation® Dogwood

This stately hybrid in the Trustees Garden and Children's Garden beckons with large white blooms in spring.
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Swamp Hibiscus

Discover this showy summer wonder near the pond in the Lou Glenn Children's Garden.
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Smooth Coneflower

This federally listed species is a focal species for prairie and woodland restoration conducted with partners.
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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.
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Pink Butterwort

This sly carnivorous plant in the Conservation Garden attracts, traps and consumes flies with sticky leaves.
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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.
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Pachypodium species

Look, but definitely don't touch this prickly succulent in the Desert House of the Dorthy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
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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.
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Jade Vine

Find this aptly described, vibrant blue-green vine in the Special Exhibits Room of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
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Sealing Wax Palm

Discover this once vulnerable palm in the Special Exhibits room of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory.
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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.
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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.
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Herrania balaensis

The Tropical Rotunda is home to an endangered evergreen treasured for its flavorful fruit.
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Livin’ Easy® Floribunda Rose

A gorgeous gradient of apricot and orange, this Rose Garden showstopper offers a fruity fragrance on early summer mornings.
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Shrub Rose

A thornless rose? Absolutely! Find this favorite peaking around Mother's Day in the Rose Garden.
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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.
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Knap Hill Red Azalea

Summer brings out the fragrant, bright red blooms of this hybrid on the Azalea Walk in Storza Woods.
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Smiling Monkey Tree

The lemon-scented blooms of this magnolia in the Glade Garden of Storza Woods attract guests in late winter.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Obedient Plant

These vertical pink stalks in the Glade Garden do what they're told.
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Japanese Spikenard

The striking golden foliage of the 'Sun King' stands out in the Channel, Boardwalk and Beechwood Overlooks of Storza Woods.
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Kelsey’s Flame Azalea

You can't miss the bright orange blooms of this native azalea hybrid when it flowers in Storza Woods.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Natchez Crape Myrtle

Flanking the Crape Myrtle Allee, these classically Southern summer trees create an umbrella of beauty above the Garden's busiest thoroughfare.
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Switchgrass

The Levy Parterre boasts this dominant North American prairie grass that blooms in feathery plumes of purple whisps in fall.
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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.
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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.
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Windmill Palm

You'll notice this hardy palm in Cox Courtyard, even in winter.
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Tree Ivy ‘Annemieke’

Is it a shrub or is it ivy? It's both, and you'll find it in Cox Courtyard.
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Giant Leopard Plant

Discover the large leaves and blooming flowers of this evergreen plant in the Cascades Garden.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Rain Lily

Rain Lilies in the Anne Cox Chambers Southern Seasons Garden welcome summertime guests at the beginning of their Garden journeys.
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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.
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Persian Ironwood

Spring and fall bring bright color to the Persian Ironwood tree near the Hardin Visitor Center.
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Paphiopedilum victoria-regina

Named for Queen Victoria in the 19th century, this Asian slipper orchid can be seen in the Orchid Display House.
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Stanhopea tigrina

See the largest flowers in the genus Stanhopea in the Orchid Display House.
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Pleurothallis cyanea

See the striking blue-green leaves of this medium-sized Pleurothallis in the Tropical High Elevation House
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Odontoglossum wyattianum

Find the colorful blooms of this showy orchid in the Tropical High Elevation House.
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Cyrtochilum macranthum

Look for dozens of large flowers growing on tree fern trunks in the Tropical High Elevation House.
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Joe Pye Weed

Mid-to-late summer is a splendid time to see this plant once used as medicine by Native Americans.
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Scheherazade Orienpet Lily

Enjoy the fragrance of these colorful, late summer to fall blooms in the Perennial Garden.
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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.
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Thistle Cholla

This stand-out specimen in the Skyline Garden is lovely from a distance but watch out: This beauty bites.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Muscadine Grape

You'll find two kinds of muscadine grapes in the Edible Garden.
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Japanese Persimmon

Discover two kinds of this fruitful persimmon in the Edible Garden.
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Lady Banks’ Rose

Roses aren't just in the Rose Garden. Discover this late-spring bloomer on the Vine Arbor off the Great Lawn.
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Kiwi Vine

Discover this vigorous deciduous vine on the Vine Arbor beside the Great Lawn.
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Sweet Coneflower

Find these bursts of bright yellow, late-summer flowers in the Color Border by the Vine Arbor on the Great Lawn.
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Ryan’s Yellow Hardy Mum

Spot this pale yellow fall favorite in the Color Border by the Vine Arbor on the Great Lawn.
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Satsuki Azalea

Satsuki in Japanese refers to May, the month in which this hybrid rhododendron begins to bloom in the Japanese Garden.
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California Poppy

Find this bright, yellow-orange single flower in the Rock Garden.
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Lion’s Tail

The bright orange blooms of this South African plant attract pollinators to the Rock Garden.
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