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Rock Garden

This boulder-strewn slope provides some of the earliest signs of spring as well as brilliant color in the fall. Opened to the public in 1917, it was the first rock garden of considerable size in an American botanic garden.

BBG's Rock Garden uses boulders to define beds and create pockets of microclimates where plants with a variety of special needs are able to thrive. Many of the plants showcased are compact and suited to growing in small spaces.

Many of the boulders that pepper the landscape were unearthed during construction of various parts of BBG, and were deposited on the site during the last ice age.

During a renovation in 1992, additional boulders, imported from Westchester County, were added to the original collection, pathways were widened, and steps were eliminated wherever possible. Today the Rock Garden is about two-thirds wheelchair and stroller accessible, and is divided into the following areas:

Woodland

A collection of large shrubs and trees (including maples, pines, spruces, and viburnums), these woody plants serve as an eye-pleasing backdrop to the Rock Garden.

Acid-loving Plants

As the name implies, these plants require acidic soil conditions. Many belong to the heath family, Ericaceae, including heaths, azaleas, and rhododendrons.

Scree

Traditional rock garden candidates, this group of dwarf alpine plants can be found in the wild near mountaintops, flourishing in seemingly inhospitable stony fields formed by the weathering of large rock masses.

Drought-tolerant Plants

No rain? These plants don't mind. Most inhabit very dry landscapes. Some have succulent leaves or other adaptive features that allow them to exist with little moisture.

Evergreens

Cone-bearing plants predominate in this section, particularly dwarf or low-growing varieties of yew, juniper, spruce, fir, and false cypress, all of which stay green year round.

Shade-tolerant Plants

Tall oaks and conifers create a protective canopy over this collection, which includes shade-enthusiasts like azaleas, rhododendrons, bulbs, hostas, anemones, and hellebores.