Designed to be a source of inspiration to urban gardeners, the Elizabeth Scholtz Woodland Garden features an open-air walled garden and plants that flourish in shady, relatively dry conditions, like ferns, sedges, and may-apples.
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden is a small wetland and riparian environment with a meandering path that leads visitors past a babbling brook and tranquil pond surrounded by plants that flourish at the water’s edge.
More than 80 kinds of plants mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare grow in this English cottage–style garden. Many are labeled with the common or Shakespearean name, the botanical name, a relevant quotation from a poem or play by the Bard, and a graphic illustration of the plant.
Nestled into the hillside along the western border of BBG just north of the Herb Garden, the Rock Garden features a number of alpine and montane microclimates, home to succulents, heaths, species tulips, and other plants that thrive in rocky, fast-draining soils.
The semiformal Osborne Garden is the first space visitors pass through upon entering Brooklyn Botanic Garden via the Eastern Parkway entrance. This Italianate garden features an emerald lawn framed by wisteria-draped pergolas.
Cherry Esplanade is a broad green lawn bordered by allées of flowering cherry and red oak trees. The double-flowering ‘Kanzan’ cherries typically bloom at the end of April, one of the highlights of spring.
Show locations on Garden map Visitors to the Garden can enjoy vegetable-centric small plates and heartier main dishes at Yellow Magnolia Café, pizza, salads, sandwiches, snacks, and beverages at the outdoor Yellow Magnolia Canteen adjacent to the Steinhardt Conservatory, and beverages, lunches, and sweet treats at the Coffee Bar in…
English The Robert W. Wilson Overlook is an ascending garden that immerses visitors in nature as they move along its accessible path. Listen along as Fernanda Incera, Interpretation assistant at BBG, shares the story of this lush and unique space. Your browser does not support the audio element. Read transcript…
Free advance tickets during public hours are offered to the individuals and groups listed below. Valid ID, membership card, or pass is required. Admission is for one unless otherwise noted. Children under 12 are admitted free. Not valid during ticketed or member events and other nonpublic hours unless noted. Check…
Individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing are invited to an ASL-interpreted tour and reception. Join us for light bites and wine followed by a Garden tour. Explore highlights from our collection as we transition from late-summer blooms into fall foliage season.
This event is free, though preregistration is required. Please email [email protected]
if you’d like to attend or have additional questions or concerns.
The Elizabeth Scholtz Woodland Garden features an open-air walled garden and an accessible path that meanders through a rolling landscape connecting the Lilac Collection, the Osborne Garden, the Native Flora Garden, and Maple Grove.
The garden was designed as a source of inspiration to urban gardeners, featuring plants that flourish in shady, relatively dry conditions, like ferns, sedges, and may-apples. Modeled after a natural woodland, it includes multiple layers beneath the canopy: smaller trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants of different heights. On-site signage provides visitors with tips and techniques for maintaining their own sustainable and successful city gardens.
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden is a small wetland and riparian environment with a meandering path that leads visitors past a babbling brook and tranquil pond surrounded by resilient plants that flourish at the water's edge.
The diverse palette of trees, shrubs, ferns, and other plants is a mix of ornamentals and “working plants” that filter water and provide habitat and food for wildlife. Many of the species, such as black tupelo, can handle both wet and dry conditions.
Other plants prefer consistent moisture, like sedges and rushes, and can be seen growing along the pond and brook. Among the summer highlights are several varieties of Hibiscus, whose large, showy flowers provide bursts of red, white, and pink amid the garden' lush greenery from late July through September.
The pond and stream, known as Belle’s Brook, are part of the Garden’s Water Conservation Project which allows the Garden to filter and recirculate fresh rainwater and groundwater throughout its 52-acre watershed, reducing water consumption and easing the burden on the city storm drains.
More than 80 kinds of plants mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare grow in this English cottage–style garden. Many are labeled with the common or Shakespearean name, the botanical name, a relevant quotation from a poem or play by the Bard, and a graphic illustration of the plant.
Spring brings a lovely display of bulbs, starting with
snowdrops as early as February, followed by a succession of daffodils, fritillary, squill, dwarf irises, and tulips.
In summer, lettuces, berries, and herbs are interplanted with ornamental plants in the beds in the style of a European kitchen garden, surrounded by gorgeous borders of lilies, poppies, and snapdragons. Sprays of asters appear in fall.
The Cranford Rose Garden has been one of BBG’s most popular attractions since it first opened in 1928. In June, when the roses are in full bloom, tens of thousands of blossoms cascade down arches, climb up lattices, clamber over the pavilion, and pose in formal beds. Here, in one of the largest collections in North America, thousands of rosebushes are cultivated, including wild species, old garden roses, hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, polyanthas, hybrid perpetuals, climbers, ramblers, and miniatures. Some of the original roses planted in 1927 are still in the Rose Garden today.
Audio Spotlight
Listen along as director of Horticulture and expert rosarian Shauna Moore explores some highlights of the Cranford Rose Garden.
Read Transcript
Hi! I’m Shauna Moore, director of horticulture at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
The Cranford Rose Garden has been one of the loveliest places to visit at Brooklyn Botanic Garden since it opened in 1928. I’ve admired this garden since I started loving roses too many years ago. Between late May and early June, the roses here really start to sing.
In the 1920’s, Walter Cranford, an engineer who built many of Brooklyn’s subways, donated $15,000 to plant a rose garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Today, many of these historic roses are still on display––and the Cranford Rose Garden is one of the broadest collections of rose species and cultivars in North America, hosting well over 5,000 individual plants.
The Cranford Rose Garden is laid out like a traditional rose garden, which means it contains almost exclusively roses. Around the perimeter, you’ll find some bulbs and other flowers mixed in to attract pollinators.
Roses fall into three broad categories: species roses, old garden roses, and modern roses. You'll find modern roses in the center plots, while the species and old garden roses are located along the perimeter.
A species rose is a rose just as nature made it. These typically just flower once per season, only with about five petals. Rosa carolina, which you can find on the northeast corner of the Rose Garden, is a beautiful species rose that’s native to North America.
On the south end of the Rose Garden, as well as around the perimeter, you will find my favorite roses: the old garden roses, also known as heritage or heirloom roses. An old garden rose is a species rose crossed with another species rose. Roses have been cultivated all over the world for thousands of years, likely beginning in China.
One class of old garden rose is the alba rose, which are some of the oldest of the old garden roses. They bloom early and just once each year, and are very fragrant. I love Rosa ‘Königin von Dänemark’ (or ‘Queen of Denmark'), which is on the eastern perimeter adjacent to Cherry Esplanade.
Another class of old garden rose is the Damask rose, which is the national flower of Iran. These are renowned for their fine fragrance. With the Damask roses, we start seeing some roses that bloom more than once a year. Rosa ‘Celsiana’, on the northwest corner of the garden, is a favorite Damask of mine.
The modern roses in the collection are just as important as the species roses and old garden roses. In 1867, rose breeder Jean-Baptiste Guillot introduced the first hybrid tea rose, which is considered the first modern rose. It had a repeat blooming pattern, which really changed everything in the rose world.
Modern roses bloom continuously throughout the season, and often have large blooms. They can be found in the middle plots, and consist of hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, polyanthas, and many others.
Roses are known for being high maintenance and fussy, but some of the modern roses developed by breeders in recent decades have made growing roses easy and accessible to more people. These newer varieties are also tougher and more resistant to diseases.
Floribunda roses are easy to care for, and pretty disease-resistant. One of my favorite floribundas is named after Julia Child. Look for its beautiful yellow rose, which blooms almost constantly throughout the season.
The very popular shrub rose also belongs to the modern rose category. Shrub roses can be large and sprawling, and they're very vigorous and cold hardy. You’ll find shrub roses like Knockout around the Rose Arc, just south of the Rose Garden.
Thanks for joining me! And while you’re here, don't forget to stop and smell the roses.
When it opened in 1917, the Rock Garden was one of the first rock gardens in an American public garden. Nestled into the hillside along the western border of Brooklyn Botanic Garden just north of the Herb Garden, the Rock Garden features a number of alpine and montane microclimates, home to succulents, heaths, species tulips, and other plants that thrive in rocky, fast-draining soils. The microclimates were created by the careful placement of large boulders, many of them left behind by melting glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age.
Colorful tulips and daffodils are among the first flowers to emerge here in spring, followed by sturdy azaleas and heaths, and delicate columbines, love-in-a-mist, and poppies in late spring. Catchfly and anemones bloom in summer, and in autumn, stonecrops flower among the fall foliage. Winter-blooming witch-hazels provide lovely color in the colder months, often against a backdrop of snow-covered conifers.
The Garden’s historic Plant Family Collection is both a working landscape and a living resource that helps educate visitors about plant evolution.
One of the first features to open after Brooklyn Botanic Garden was established a century ago, this garden displayed closely related plants side by side for educational purposes. Its recent renovation enhanced its rolling hills and meandering brook, and the surrounding beds of plants include some of the original plantings as well as thousands of new woody and herbaceous plants. Plank bridges and grassy walkways allow visitors to walk among the beds and observe the plants up close. The brook is part of the Garden’s Water Circulation Project and helps carry water between the project’s two ponds.
The Robert W. Wilson Overlook is an ascending garden with spectacular views of Cherry Esplanade and the Cranford Rose Garden. Its winding path, shaped by smooth walls with integrated benches, leads visitors through a lush and ever-evolving landscape filled with summer-flowering crape-myrtle trees, ornamental grasses, and herbaceous perennials. The innovative switchback path allows better access to the Garden for visitors of all abilities.
The structure, named in recognition of the late Robert W. Wilson, a former Brooklyn Botanic Garden trustee, was designed by architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi and echoes the adjacent Steinberg Visitor Center, also designed by Weiss/Manfredi. The accessible route encourages visitor engagement with the Garden's landscape through the creation of communal gathering spaces and new vantage points.
The Robert W. Wilson Overlook was longlisted in the prestigious Dezeen Awards in 2022, and won in the Urban Planning/Landscape Architecture category at the 2023 International Architecture Awards.
The semiformal Osborne Garden is the first space visitors pass through upon entering Brooklyn Botanic Garden via the Eastern Parkway entrance. This Italianate garden features an emerald lawn framed by wisteria-draped pergolas.
It is at its most colorful and dynamic in spring, when cherries, wisteria, crabapples, and azaleas bloom in succession. In summer, a lovely variety of annual flowers bloom, giving way to fall foliage, and crabapple fruits that persist through winter. Architectural features include two sets of stone columns and curving acoustic "whispering" benches.
The Native Flora Garden exhibits plants native to the New York metropolitan area arranged to represent the habitats that once flourished here.
The current garden includes a small forest that was established not long after Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened a century ago, along with a newer sunlit portion which includes meadow, bog, and pine barrens habitats. Winding paths and a boardwalk lead visitors through this three-acre space.
Full of life in all seasons, the Native Flora Garden sees some of the first signs of spring in the city when bloodroot, trillium, and other spring ephemerals emerge. In summer, colorful blooms and tall grasses flourish in the meadow, and the garden attracts native bees, wasps, monarchs and other butterflies, as well as migrating and resident birds, from hummingbirds and petite warblers to great blue herons, ospreys, and red-tailed hawks.
Brilliant foliage and late-blooming flowers emerge in autumn, and in winter, small paw prints can be seen leading away from the bare, hollow trees, and back again.
Cherry Esplanade is a broad green lawn bordered by allées of flowering cherry and red oak trees. The double-flowering ‘Kanzan’ cherries typically bloom at the end of April, one of the highlights of spring.
Along the eastern and western edges of Cherry Esplanade are allées of scarlet oak trees, the Liberty Oaks, planted in remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001, and those who lost their lives that day.
Cherry Walk is a meandering path east of Cherry Esplanade and behind the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. The trees here include double rows of ‘Kanzan’ cherries at the northern end and a wide variety of other cultivars along the southern end. Some of these cultivars are among the earliest to bloom during cherry blossom season.
Cherry Blossom Season
Hanami is a centuries-old Japanese tradition of flower viewing. Spring cherry blossoms are cherished for their ephemeral nature and are thought to represent the impermanence of life. An individual tree may only bloom for a week or two, depending on the weather; different kinds of trees bloom over the course of five to six weeks. Cherry trees usually begin to flower in late March. The Garden tracks blooms on CherryWatch.
Learn and play together in the Discovery Garden. Hands-on stations throughout the garden’s courtyard, meadow, woodland, and marsh habitats encourage families to explore nature alongside our volunteer Discovery Docents.
This is a drop-in program for families with children of all ages. Free with Garden admission.
All programs are outdoors and canceled in inclement weather. Check this webpage for updates.
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden is recruiting for the 2025 Garden Apprentice Program (GAP). Please join us for an information session to hear more about this urban agriculture and environmental education program for students in grades 9–11.
At the info session, you’ll meet current apprentices and visit our garden plots. We’ll walk you through the application process, describe the program tiers in detail, and answer your questions. A nine-month commitment is required, March through November, and apprentices earn increasing levels of compensation as well as community service hours. Check out bbg.org/gap for more information, photos, frequently asked questions, and applications. Applications are available on this page.
Registration for the info session is required—use the form below. Invite friends and classmates—we look forward to meeting you!
With Virginia Levie, South Midwood Pollinators
Do you want to support biodiversity and pollinators, but find starting native wildflowers from seed just doesn’t seem to work? You’re not alone! Germination requirements and weed competition can make this a perplexing task and—believe it or not—winter is the perfect time to unlock these seedy secrets. Learn how to make a simple DIY seed propagator from commonplace upcycled materials in this hands-on class taught by a certified Brooklyn Urban Gardener and leader of the South Midwood Pollinators—a group committed to working together to make “our community a greener and more welcoming place for people, bees, birds, and butterflies.” Make your own propagator, sow seeds, and take home a free native plant to try!
ASL interpreter available upon request; contact [email protected] at least 2 weeks prior to the class date.
For more information about BBG’s Community Greening programs, visit bbg.org/community.
With Michael Basedow and Yolanda Gonzalez, Cornell Cooperative Extension
From apples and apricots to peaches and pawpaws, are you wondering how to get the most out of your fruit tree? Join a conversation with tree fruit and urban agriculture experts to get your questions answered. Designed for community gardeners and home gardeners alike, class topics will include fruit tree variety recommendations for NYC as well as the basics of pest management. Take home a free native wildflower plant to try!
ASL interpreter available upon request; contact [email protected] at least 2 weeks prior to the class date.
For more information about BBG’s Community Greening programs, visit bbg.org/community.
With Nina Browne and Jibreel Cooper, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Trees thrive when they are part of a diverse, interconnected forest community of life above and below ground. Yet trees in cities must rely on people to co-create healthy urban ecosystems. As your street trees go dormant for the winter, learn best practices to help garden more like a forest, so that next spring your community’s trees can thrive. Take home a native plant to try in your street tree bed!
ASL interpreter available upon request; contact [email protected] at least 2 weeks prior to the class date.
For more information about BBG’s Community Greening programs, visit bbg.org/community.
Visitors to the Garden can enjoy vegetable-centric small plates and heartier main dishes at Yellow Magnolia Café, pizza, salads, sandwiches, snacks, and beverages at the outdoor Yellow Magnolia Canteen adjacent to the Steinhardt Conservatory, and beverages, lunches, and sweet treats at the Coffee Bar in the Steinberg Visitor Center.
Yellow Magnolia Canteen, on the terrace by the entrance to the Steinhardt Conservatory, serves a variety of pizzas, sandwiches, empanadas, salads, snacks, and beverages.
Hours
Tuesday–Sunday: 11 a.m. until 30 minutes before closing
Plus additional assorted treats. Menu subject to change.
English
The Robert W. Wilson Overlook is an ascending garden that immerses visitors in nature as they move along its accessible path. Listen along as Fernanda Incera, Interpretation assistant at BBG, shares the story of this lush and unique space.
Read transcript
Welcome to one of the greatest spots to admire Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Hello! I’m Fernanda Incera, the assistant to the Interpretation department, and this is the Robert W. Wilson Overlook! We are happy you can join us. To understand more about this garden, let’s start by taking a trip down memory lane.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden was founded in 1910. However, everything you see here today was not created overnight. In fact, the area that encompasses the Overlook was initially planned as a link between the Brooklyn Museum and the Garden. Eventually, the plans changed, and the Garden and Museum became separate entities.
Designed by the architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi and officially opened in 2019, the Robert W. Wilson Overlook is an ascending garden that leads to Ginkgo Allée.
One of the most important features of the design is that it offers an accessible path that welcomes all our visitors. Its winding trail not only allows for easier travel through the north and south part of the Garden, but helps visitors feel immersed in nature every step of the way. It is a joy to the senses—the Overlook is meant to be experienced.
As a transitional space, the Overlook holds elements from its neighboring gardens. For example, it is home to a lot of native plants and grasses, like the Native Flora Garden and the Visitor Center’s green roof. It was conceived as part of a wildlife corridor that extends through different parts of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, with plants that support birds, insects, and other creatures.
With a planting design by Siteworks by Toby Wolf, the Overlook is truly one of a kind inside the Garden. It emphasizes the overall mix of plants and how they work together, with fewer individually labeled specimens. In the Overlook, there’s space for everyone, perhaps like a metaphor for Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a place where everyone is welcome. Plants are allowed to grow, change and even self-seed here without much intervention.
Crape-myrtles are the superstars of the Overlook. Thirty-four shrubs representing 12 different Lagerstroemia cultivars are arranged to give a beautiful color display, from the most vibrant colors at the north to soft pastels at the south.
These summer bloomers are perfect for this area since they love the heat and are quite drought tolerant. Even after they bloom, their radiant red, orange and yellow foliage and colorful bark create a spectacular composition.
Alongside the crape myrtles, warm season grasses give height and texture to the space while bringing a meadow feeling to the path. That's why prairie dropseed is all around us in the Overlook! It bursts around the edges and adds movement to the area when it plays with the wind, which highlights its smooth scent. Some people even say it smells like popcorn.
Another highlight of the Overlook are purple poppy mallows, which take over the space and paint the path with their deep magenta petals.
On your way up or down you might notice other plants like wild strawberries, baptisia, milkweeds, Tennessee coneflowers and even evening primrose, which seeded here on its own!
Like the cycle of life, the Overlook is meant to be traveled and enjoyed with every step, as everything inside of it changes, grows, moves and evolves through the seasons. Just like us.
Español
El Mirador Robert W. Wilson es un jardín ascendente que sumerge a los visitantes en la naturaleza mientras se mueven por su sendero accesible. Escucha mientras Fernanda Incera, la asistente del departamento de Interpretación del Jardín Botánico de Brooklyn, comparte la historia de este exuberante y único espacio.
Leer transcripción
Bienvenidos a uno de los mejores lugares para admirar el Jardín Botánico de Brooklyn. ¡Hola! Soy Fernanda Incera, la asistente del departamento de Interpretación, y este es el Mirador Robert W. Wilson. Estamos felices de que estés aquí. Para entender más sobre este jardín, hagamos un viaje por el baúl de los recuerdos.
El Jardín Botánico de Brooklyn fue fundado en 1910; Pero, todo lo que ves aquí, el día de hoy no fue creado repentinamente. De hecho, el área que ocupa El Mirador fue planeada en un principio para ser un vínculo entre el museo de Brooklyn y el jardín. Eventualmente los planes cambiaron y el jardín y el museo se convirtieron en entidades diferentes.
Diseñado por la firma arquitectónica Weiss/Manfredi y oficialmente abierto en el 2019, El Mirador Robert W. Wilson es un jardín ascendente que lleva a Ginkgo Allée.
Una de las características más importantes del diseño es que ofrece una ruta accesible que le da la bienvenida a todos nuestros visitantes. Este camino que serpentea no solo nos permite viajar entre la parte norte y sur del jardín, sino que también ayuda a los visitantes a sentirse inmersos en la naturaleza con cada paso. Es un goce para los sentidos, El Mirador está hecho para experimentarse.
Como un espacio de transición, El Mirador contiene elementos de sus jardines vecinos. Por ejemplo, es hogar de muchas plantas nativas y pastos, como el Jardín de la Flora Nativa y el techo verde del Centro de Visitantes. Fue concebido como parte de un corredor de vida silvestre que se extiende a través de diferentes partes del Jardín Botánico de Brooklyn, con plantas que sustentan a pájaros, insectos y otras criaturas.
Con un diseño de paisaje hecho por la firma Siteworks con Toby Wolf, El Mirador realmente es un jardín único. Pone énfasis en la mezcla de plantas y cómo funcionan juntas, con menos especímenes individualmente clasificados. En el Mirador hay espacio para todos, quizá como una metáfora del Jardín Botánico de Brooklyn, un lugar donde todos son bienvenidos. Aquí las plantas pueden crecer, cambiar y hasta plantarse por sí mismas aquí sin mucha intervención.
Los árboles de Júpiter son las súper estrellas del Mirador. 34 arbustos representando a 12 diferentes cultivos de Lagerstroemias están organizados para dar un despliegue de colores: desde los tonos más intensos al norte del jardín hasta los pasteles suaves en el sur.
Estas plantas que florecen en el verano son perfectas para esta área ya que aman el calor y son resistentes a la sequía. Aún después de que florecen, su radiante follaje color rojo, naranja y amarillo; así como su colorida corteza, crean una composición espectacular.
Junto a los árboles de Júpiter, pastos de clima cálido añaden textura y altura al espacio, mientras le dan una sensación de pradera al sendero. Es por eso que hay hierba de la pradera alrededor de nosotros por todas partes en El Mirador. Se asoma por los bordes y le añade movimiento al área cuando juega con el viento, lo cual destaca su delicada fragancia. Algunas personas incluso dicen que ¡huele a palomitas de maíz!
Otras plantas destacadas del Mirador son las amapolas malva moradas que se apoderan del espacio y pintan el sendero con sus pétalos magenta profundo.
En tu trayecto hacia arriba o hacia abajo, podrás notar otras plantas como fresas silvestres, añiles, algodoncillos, equináceas de Tennessee y ¡hasta onagras vespertinas! que se plantaron aquí por sí solas.
Como el ciclo de vida, El Mirador está destinado para ser recorrido y disfrutado con cada paso, experimentando como todo dentro de él cambia, crece, mueve y se transforma a través de las temporadas. Justo como nosotros.
Japanese knotweed, with its green-to-reddish stems that resemble bamboo, is impressive—to say the least—in its ability to thrive in harsh environments.
Known scientifically as Reynoutriajaponica (also called Polygonumcuspidatum or Fallopia japonica), Japanese knotweed is a shrub-like perennial that is native to eastern Asia, where it evolved to grow near waterways, along forest edges, and in volcanic ash and recent lava flows. Known in Japan as itadori, it can thrive in disturbed ecosystems like roadsides and in soils polluted with heavy metals. Its extensive root network can secure itself on the slopes of volcanos like Japan’s Mt. Fuji, where it forms robust patches of nearly four square miles.
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A dense stand of Fallopia japonica in summer. Photo via Scottish Invasive Species Initiative / Flickr.
Unfortunately, after being transported to Europe and North America in the 19th century, R. japonica is now broadly considered, in the words of one researcher, “one of the most problematic invasive plants in the temperate world.” The qualities that make this species so miraculously resilient have helped it succeed outside of its range, where it can burst through concrete cracks and create dense monocultures that suppress nearby plant life.
Here in New York City, you might find R. japonica growing in riparian ecosystems like around the Bronx River, as well as in public parks, roadsides, empty lots, and more. At Brooklyn Botanic Garden, it’s shown up around Belle’s Brook and near the parking lot, as well as on the slope behind the Elizabeth Scholtz Woodland Garden.
Reddish-purple shoots begin to emerge in spring, by summer morphing into shrubby, leafy drifts that can reach up to seven feet tall. Its hollow stems are often reddish around the nodes, which are covered by a sheath called an “ochrea,” a distinguishing feature of the Polygonaceae or buckwheat family. In late summer, it blooms into plumes of fluffy white flowers that persist through early autumn, and its spade-shaped leaves wilt into yellow later in the fall before aboveground growth dies back in winter.
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Knotweed leaves are bright green, heart or spade-shaped, and alternately arranged on the stem. Photo via U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service / Flickr.{embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Ochrea_Korina_2017-04-04_Fallopia_japonica_4.jpg"}
Knotweed stems have a sheath-like wrapping called an ochrea around the nodes. Photo by Katrin Schneider / korina.info, via Wikimedia Commons.{embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Knotweed-flowers_29495747351.jpg"}
Delicate white flowers appear in late summer. Photo by Katja Schulz / via Flickr.
Serious ecological concerns notwithstanding, there’s plenty to appreciate about Japanese knotweed. Itadori, which can be translated to mean “pain puller” or “take away pain,” has been used in traditional herbal medicine in Japan, Korea, and China; herbalists in Vermont have been harvesting invasive stands to make tinctures. The rhizome contains resveratrol, also found in red grapes and blueberries, which is thought to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Its young spring shoots are also edible. Knotweed can be served in a variety of ways, including as a stir-fried or salted side dish popular in many Japanese homes; the pink-speckled stem has a taste similar to rhubarb. Michelin-starred restaurants are serving it, and foragers around New York City are learning to feast on it (though take care if you do so*; heavy metals are present in many urban soils, and knotweed patches are often sprayed with herbicides).
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Tasty spring shoots look a bit like asparagus. Photo by Scottish Invasive Species Initiative / via Flickr.
The Western history of knotweed traces back to a German doctor and botanist named Philipp Franz von Siebold, who worked for a Dutch trading settlement in Japan in the mid-1800s and collected hundreds of plants that he brought back to Europe, where he attempted to market and sell them. He promotedR. japonica as offering protection for “young plantations from wind and sun” with a rhizome “highly valued” in Japanese and Chinese medicine, and sent a shipment to Kew Gardens.
Nurseries in Europe promoted the plant as fodder for cattle and a material for matchsticks, and it was planted on estates in the U.S. in the late 19th century. South African botanist John Wood wrote in a gardening manual that after a few years in a garden, knotweed would “form a charming thicket, which must prove a pleasant feature.” (In the 1880s, British horticulturists visiting the late von Siebold’s former garden found it overtaken by R. japonica.)
Today, a quick search online and you’ll find Japanese knotweed described as a “menace,” a “horror movie,” and an “alien shrub that can’t be stopped.” The UK is in the midst of what one Slate writer dubbed “the Great British Knotweed Panic,” with lawsuits emerging amid fears of declining property values. (Knotweed has been called “Britain’s largest female,” because the weeds proliferating there are effectively clones of one of von Siebold’s original plants.)
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A very large patch of knotweed. This plant often shows up in human-altered ecosystems like roadsides and urban waterways. Photo by Tom Heutte, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org / via Wikimedia Commons.
R. japonica reproduces mostly asexually via thick rhizomes, or underground stems, that can extend up to nearly seven feet deep and 65 feet laterally. Tiny fragments of root and stem can also sprout new plants, so if you try to dig it up, you’ll need to get every last bit of it. Knotweed is notoriously difficult to eliminate, even with herbicides, particularly if it’s been around a while.
If you’re dealing with knotweed and hoping to manage it organically, patience is key. You can try cutting the shoots down to the ground every three months, making sure to completely defoliate, then smothering the patch with black landscaping fabric or a tarp. Rinse and repeat. By being persistent, you can weaken the rhizome by depriving it of light and chlorophyll. (Note that without chemicals, it could just send up shoots on a neighbor’s property, creating the illusion that it’s been successfully removed.)
Turning flat affected areas into lawns, with frequent mowing for many years, is another approach; you’ll need to be careful, however, not to share mowers or use flail mowers or line trimmers that can fling around knotweed fragments.
Eventually, alongside asparagus and sorrel at farmers’ markets, we may need to figure out how to live with Japanese knotweed. And if you learn to identify this plant, you can help keep it in check by carefully removing it from any land you take care of.
*Note: Forage safely! Only harvest if you have permission; most parks and gardens in New York City don’t allow visitors to remove plants. Make sure you accurately identify any plant you eat, and avoid collecting from a site you can’t confirm is free of lead or other toxins.
Shop a curated and dazzling selection of plants for your home and garden. This year, shoppers can find native trees and shrubs fit for Brooklyn yards, unusual orchids, diverse tropicals and succulents, indoor and outdoor bulbs including uncommon varietals, and much more. Pot up your new purchase at Terrain while you check out pumpkins and new fall arrivals!
Brighten your home, stoop, and garden while supporting BBG—all proceeds benefit the Garden’s operations and programs. The Fall Plant Sale is presented by the BBG Auxiliary.
Garden admission is free for Fall Plant Sale shoppers. Purchased plant materials are not permitted in other areas of the Garden, so plan to exit through 990 Washington Avenue. Garden members get 10% off all purchases.
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A good interspecies romance really gets me buzzing. Both the artist and gardener in me delight in interactions that reveal a kindredness between creatures. So, in June, when BBG selected me as their artist in residence, I couldn’t wait to make a performance based on this year’s theme, Natural Attractions: A Plant-Pollinator Love Story.
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The author in a reflective mood at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Patrick Costello.
July brought extreme heat to the Garden, and with it came swaying pink clouds of Joe-pye weed and the rhythmic staccato of sprinklers on foliage. I spent my days alternating between sweaty chats with gardeners and sweaty reading sessions with Derek Jarman’s Modern Nature. I read in the grass near Belle’s Brook, which was fringed with volunteer jewelweed—fitting complements to the astringent, soothing writing of a queer ancestor and artist-gardener.
In Modern Nature, Jarman records the saga of tending his garden at Prospect Cottage while meditating on his experience as a filmmaker, artist, and HIV+ man in the 1980s. Writing at the restless intersection of nature and culture, Jarman combines the timeline of one life and the profusion of timelines that occur in a garden, with its endless cycles of bloom and decay.
As I began writing a script for the performance, I noticed how the rhythms of gardening have shaped my own sense of time and place, and my relationships to other beings. Working as a gardener provides a seasonal framework for my artmaking. Plant-pollinator mutualisms reflect the messy dance of collaborating with others toward shared creative goals. Thinking about the history of horticulture and my place within that discourse provides a fraught set of questions to explore through art.
I’ve found that gardening and artmaking are twin practices, perennially present in my life, that enliven and complicate my search for community and connection.
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Collaborators preparing for the Artist-in-Residence performance. Photo by Patrick Costello.
In a dense city full of cramped apartments, where public and private life spills onto the streets, I feel thankful to have spent most of the last decade working outside: tending backyard gardens in Cobble Hill, weeding flower beds near the base of the Brooklyn Bridge, and gardening with tenants at New York Supportive Housing buildings in four different boroughs. Gardening ties a person to a specific landscape and its inhabitants. For me, it has also allowed me to meet queer folks I might not have encountered otherwise.
In April of 2018, I met Scott, a 61-year-old gay artist-gardener living in Washington Heights. Almost immediately, I recognized in him some bits of the person I hope to become. Scott is the kind of storyteller that makes you want to capture every word on tape. He is an artist whose medium is whimsy, and whose understanding of his role within a neighborhood is illustrated through his thoughtful cultivation of beauty.
I joined him in tending a haphazard patchwork of garden beds around his apartment building. Scott cares for the bits of soil the paving machines forgot. In a tiny hellstrip in the middle of Amsterdam Avenue, he planted a voluptuous lilac. In his backyard, he grows asparagus in an old tire stuffed with potting soil, balanced precariously atop an eight-foot-tall retaining wall. In his community garden bed, hops wind their way up a makeshift trellis made of trash pile finds, their curling tendrils seeming to brush the clouds above our heads.
For all his joy, Scott’s creative impulses have also been shaped by the devastation of the AIDS crisis. His garden is dotted with hand-painted signs and assemblages: a small disco ball, metal sculptures decorated with sea glass and feathers, a plastic giraffe wandering among four o’clocks and milkweeds. Treasures tossed out and reclaimed, combined to make memorials for friends who have passed. Scott’s garden, and his art, hold space for loss, even as they overflow with life.
Through artmaking and gardening, we can conjure something outside of reality as we know it.
In his essay “The Garden as Pharmacopoeia,” writer-gardener Jonny Bruce positions Derek Jarman’s Garden at Prospect Cottage “as a place of resistance and resilience, and also a site of profound grief.” I see that quality in the planted memorials behind Scott’s apartment. And for me, it points to the ways that both making art and gardening help us digest history and our place within it.
Jamaica Kincaid and Olivia Laing also write incisively about the mercurial practice of gardening as one that both mirrors history and constantly disrupts it. A process that can help us hold complexity when considering how power functions in relation to landscape. How colonialism need not dictate our interactions with place and other beings, even as it haunts them. How gardening helps us grieve. How it might help reshape the narratives that inevitably tie us to land, and to each other.
Cyclical and iterative, these practices each function as both an object (or a place) and an activity that shifts and grows as we do. Through artmaking and gardening, we can conjure something outside of reality as we know it, exploring possibilities beyond the crushing weight of oppression and control.
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An interspecies romance in the Garden. Photo by Patrick Costello.
I like to think that Scott and I descend from a long line of artist-gardeners who have shown that these parallel practices can form a potent combination, reminiscent of the plant-pollinator mutualisms I’ve been researching.
That’s not to say that it’s always happily ever after. Jenny Blackwell, who has gardened at BBG for nearly a decade, told me about the ancient relationship between magnolias and their beetle pollinators. Beetles pre-date the existence of more celebrated pollinators like bees and butterflies, but they are clumsy, chewing holes in magnolia tepals and soiling otherwise glossy leaves with tiny piles of frass.
Magnolia flowers, for their part, seduce beetles with their musky scent, even trapping the beetles temporarily inside their blooms to ensure pollination. But for all their shenanigans, these two organisms have evolved in conversation with each other—and sustained one another—over millions of years.
I’ve been thinking about this connection as I move into rehearsals for the performance at BBG. The script I’ve written brings together horticulturists, visual artists, and performers to make something that, like a plant-pollinator relationship, buzzes with unhinged aliveness, even as it is finely tuned.
Many of us in the cast are performing as ourselves, and speaking from our own experiences and expertise. We’re making a play for Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and tussling with the complexities that all gardens hold: beautiful creation, habitual labor, and the strange webs that form and unravel as we participate in a cycle of life.
Join us for a guided tour of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, followed by a hands-on activity, designed for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers.
Delight in Seasonal Highlights
Explore the Garden’s spectacular seasonal displays.
Enjoy a Sensory Experience
Reminisce about the scents and sights of the many
special plants that we all enjoy.
Connect with Nature
Savor a peaceful stroll along our scenic paths.
Engage in a Hands-on Activity
This is a leisurely Garden stroll with opportunities to stop along the way;
wheelchair accessible.
The program is free, but space is limited, so registration is required. For more information and to register, contact us at [email protected].
Members of the Garden Circle and President’s Circle are invited to join us for an intimate talk with Joyce Hwang, one-half of Double Happiness, the design collective behind the Pollinator Lounge. The Pollinator Lounge is a unique art installation designed and built to serve as habitats for native insect pollinators and as a space for BBG visitors to coexist with them. Guests are invited to sit on and around the Lounge as Joyce walks us through its inception and creation.
This event is an hour long and will take place outdoors. Space is limited; be sure to RSVP below to save your spot. Contact [email protected] with any questions.
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Nerea Feliz and Joyce Hwang of Double Happiness
Interested in joining the Garden Circle? Become a member at the Contributor level or higher to attend this and other exclusive events throughout the year!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in collaboration with VISIONS Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, invites you to a special program in the Discovery Garden with your family. This program is accessible and welcoming to children and adults of all visual abilities. Explore the garden at your own pace and participate in multisensory activities at facilitated stations.
Help plant, harvest, and compost
Create a craft using natural materials
Pot up a plant to take home
... and more!
We invite your feedback as we strive to make the Garden engaging for families who have children with disabilities.
Accessible bathrooms and wheelchairs are available at the Flatbush Avenue entrance. Inside the nearby Discovery Garden, pathways and exhibits are accessible to visitors using wheelchairs.
Visitors are encouraged to touch and smell plants, and hands-on exhibits feature sound, visual, and tactile elements designed for accessibility.
A visual schedule and details about transportation, entry, and what to expect will be sent out in advance to families who have preregistered.
Snacking is permitted, and a quiet seating area will be available during the event.
Families are encouraged to bring a friend with or without disabilities; include them in your RSVP.
ASL interpreters available upon request. ASL interpretation must be requested at least two weeks in advance; requests made less than two weeks before this event cannot be guaranteed.
Garden entry and participation in this program is free, and preregistration is required.
Program Partner
JOIN THE WAITLIST
Space is limited to ensure the comfort of all participants. Please note: This program is outdoors and will be canceled in inclement weather; participants will be notified by email.
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Major Supporter, Discovery Programs
Join us for a special three-course brunch celebrating Natural Attractions at Yellow Magnolia Café.
This curated prix-fixe menu is inspired by the connection between the foods we love and the insects that make them happen.
$50 per person, exclusive of beverage, tax, and gratuity. Members receive a 10% discount.
Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Contact: 929-651-0465; [email protected]
Please note that the à la carte menu will not be available on these dates.
v | vegetarian, vg | vegan, vgo | vg option available
gf | made without gluten, gfo | gf option available
If you have a food allergy, please notify us.
We look forward to welcoming you to Lightscape! Resources on this page can help you prepare for your visit.
Arrival & Entrance
Our goal is to speed admission by staggering entry times, although there may still be a short wait at the entrance.
Use the Steinberg Visitor Center entrance at 990 Washington Avenue.
Please have your tickets ready for scanning. Your entry window is indicated on your tickets.
We encourage visitors to take public transportation. Limited attended parking (for a fee) and bike rack space is available on-site on a first-come-first-served basis. Scooters and bikes are not allowed in the Garden.
Wheelchairs for visitor use are available at the Visitor Center on a first-come-first-served basis.
Come prepared for the elements by dressing warmly and wearing suitable footwear.
Lightscape takes place in all weather, but if we’re required to cancel for safety reasons, the Garden will notify ticketholders via email and SMS before 2 p.m. with instructions for rebooking.
The Route & Installations
Lightscape takes place outdoors along a one-way, mile-long trail that exits at 150 Eastern Parkway. The route is paved, accessible, and well marked.
Dazzling works of light art are on view along the trail, including new installations specially curated for Brooklyn Botanic Garden and returning favorites.
Lightscape also makes dramatic use of BBG’s living and built landscapes—its majestic trees, curving landscape, and historic buildings—by bathing them in sprays of color and patterns.
Please check back soon for a map and more information about this year’s installations.
Food & Beverages
Concessions selling hot drinks and snacks are available along the route, and more substantial fare can be found at the Lightscape Canteen. Or reserve a sit-down dinner at Lightscape Lodge at Yellow Magnolia Café (please book for 30 minutes after your Lightscape entry; walk-ins accepted as space allows). Outside food and drink are not permitted.
Please check back soon for menus and more information.
Bathroom Locations
Bathrooms are available in the Visitor Center, off Lily Pool Terrace on both ends, and near the base of the Overlook.
Help protect our plant collections. Please stay on the trail and do not pick flowers, climb trees, or step in planted beds.
Photography is allowed; tripods, drones, and commercial photography are not. Please share your photos on social media and tag @brooklynbotanic #LightscapeBrooklyn.
Lightscape takes place in all weather, but if we’re required to cancel for safety reasons, the Garden will notify ticketholders by email and/or SMS by 2 p.m. with instructions for rebooking.
Visitor Services
Ticket exchanges are subject to availability; there is a $10 exchange fee per order (maximum two exchanges). Contact Showclix at 866-220-4001 or by chat at support.showclix.com. Customer support is available 10 a.m.–6 p.m. (Sundays by chat only); after hours you may leave a message or submit a contact form. Exchanges must be made in advance of the ticketed entry time. There are no refunds.
For other frequently asked questions, see Lightscape FAQ.
For all questions about tickets, contact ShowClix at 866-220-4001 or make a request at support.showclix.com.
Support
Lead Sponsor, Con Edison
In partnership with Sony Music
Illuminated trail created by Culture Creative
Bring friends and join us for an intimate night of drinks, music, and games in the Garden! As the sun sets, enjoy lawn games, a picnic, and a relaxing stroll through the collections. We will be serving pollinator-themed drinks and hosting interactive presentations to celebrate Natural Attractions: A Plant-Pollinator Love Story, the Garden’s current plant-centered exhibition and program series focused on native insect pollinators.
Light refreshments will be served. Outside food and picnicking allowed. This invitation is for up to four guests and is nontransferable.
Event RSVP
Please RSVP by September 19. Enter the email address for your President’s Circle membership to reserve your spot. You may also RSVP by calling 718-623-7248 or emailing [email protected].
President’s Circle members provide essential financial support to the Garden and enjoy a deepened connection through special behind-the-scenes tours, private previews, and exclusive receptions. Learn more ›
Calling all explorers up to 4 years old (and their caregivers)! Pot up a plant, create a craft, read a story, and use your senses to explore nature at special Discovery Garden activity stations designed for early learners.
This is a drop-in program for children ages 4 & under and their caregivers. Free with Garden admission.
All programs are outdoors and canceled in inclement weather. Check this webpage for updates.
Support
Major Supporter, Discovery Programs
Learn and play together in the Discovery Garden. Hands-on stations throughout the garden’s courtyard, meadow, woodland, and marsh habitats encourage families to explore nature alongside our volunteer Discovery Docents and teen garden apprentices.
This is a drop-in program for families with children of all ages. Free with Garden admission.
All programs are outdoors and canceled in inclement weather. Check this webpage for updates.
Related Event
Support
Major Supporter, Discovery Programs
Enjoy garden-inspired stories alongside BBG volunteers at the Discovery Garden’s Woodland boardwalk. Drop in anytime to join—we welcome readers (and pre-readers) of all ages!
This drop-in story time is part of our Family Discovery Weekends program series, which is free with admission.
Urban Advantage middle and elementary school teachers can use a UA class trip voucher to register for a curated experience. We provide suggested itineraries along with a backpack for each child—including student journals, pencils, hand lenses, and supplies to pot up a plant for each student back in your classroom—enabling you to lead a structured field trip for your students.
Choose between two themes:
Exploring the Caribbean in Brooklyn: Your students will feel as if they’ve traveled to the Caribbean as they explore tropical plants in the Steinhardt Conservatory. They will think about how plants travel, how important plants are to us, and how plants can evoke strong memories and create lasting connections within communities.
The Power of Trees: Do your students know they live in an urban forest? As your class adventures through the Native Flora Garden and the Discovery Garden they will think about how vital trees are in our urban ecosystem and how they can become tree stewards!
Backpack Trips last about 90 minutes; teachers will select an arrival time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and an arrival entrance. Groups arriving by bus should select 455 Flatbush Avenue; groups coming by foot may choose 455 Flatbush Avenue, 150 Eastern Parkway, or 990 Washington Avenue.
Registration closes two weeks in advance of trip dates.
Register now for trips October–December. Registration for 2025 starts December 1.
Please note tours can be canceled due to inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden invites you to an exclusive Lightscape experience at BBG’s Family Benefit, a fundraiser that’s fun for kids and their families. Enjoy trailside treats amid dazzling lights and colors as you leisurely stroll the outdoor trail. Festive attire encouraged!
This fourth annual benefit event offers a magical experience for families and raises important funds to support the Garden’s youth education programs.
*We encourage entry no later than 6:30 p.m.
Family Benefit tickets include:
Exclusive access to the Lightscape experience—enjoy spectacular lights and colors as you meander through the outdoor trail without the crowds
Complimentary hot cocoa and cider (spiked for adults!) along the route, as well as special performances and family photo opportunities
Light fare, an open bar, and family fun activities for kids and adults indoors in BBG’s Palm House, including face painting
A BBG gift bag with take-home garden activity
Complimentary parking (self-park)
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Photos by Will Ragozzino, Liz Ligon, and Sean Sime.
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Get an inside look at the Pollinator Lounge with some of the project’s artists. Learn about the design process for the habitat boxes, explore their hidden visual dimensions through UV reflective light, and listen to fictional narratives told from the point of view of bees, butterflies, wasps, flies, and beetles.
Project co-creator Joyce Hwang and fellow University of Buffalo Architecture faculty member Maia Peck will give a brief introduction to the project, followed by mini tours of selected habitats by the UB students who designed and built them.
Free with Garden admission. No registration required.
Free advance tickets during public hours are offered to the individuals and groups listed below.
Valid ID, membership card, or pass is required.
Admission is for one unless otherwise noted. Children under 12 are admitted free.
Not valid during ticketed or member events and other nonpublic hours unless noted.
Check details below before planning your visit.
PREREGISTERED GROUPS & INDIVIDUALS
These programs require registration in advance of a visit. Admission is free; however, space may be limited.
Culture Pass
Culture Pass is a program for cardholding patrons of Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and Queens Library. A limited number of single-use passes to Brooklyn Botanic Garden are available by reservation. Each pass provides free admission to up to 2 people.
Book your visit at culturepass.nyc and print or download your pass to redeem at admission booth.
Self-Guided School and Camp Groups
Children’s groups from pre-K through high school are admitted free when the Garden is open.
Present group admission barcode at gate. School bus drop-off is at 455 Flatbush Avenue; groups arriving by public transportation may use any public entrance.
Nonprofit Organizations Serving People with Disabilities and Older Adults
Groups from nonprofit senior centers, shelters, rehabilitation centers, and other 501(c)(3) organizations serving seniors and people with disabilities may register in advance for a free, self-guided visit.
BASE student family passes admit up to 4 family members free.
Show ticket with valid school ID or family pass at admission booth.
Cool Culture Cardholders
Children in the NYC Cool Culture program and their families are admitted free.
Each pass admits up to 5 family members. Not valid during nonpublic hours.
Present pass at box office. Photo ID may also be required.
Garden Apprentice Program
Teens in the Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) participate in programming from March through November.
GAP students enter free with Brooklyn Botanic Garden ID.
Project Green Reach
Classrooms participating in Project Green Reach receive free guided tours of the Garden.
PGR family passes admit family members free of charge.
Show PGR family pass at admission booth.
Urban Advantage
Middle school teachers in the Urban Advantage program may redeem an Urban Advantage Class Visit Voucher for a Garden Expedition or Guided Workshop program. See bbg.org/learn/urban_advantage for details and call 718-623-7220 to register.
Students with an Urban Advantage Student+3 Voucher receive free admission with up to 3 guests. Redeem at admission booth.
Urban Advantage teachers and parent coordinators with an Urban Advantage Teacher/PC Admission Voucher receive free admission with up to 3 guests. Redeem at admission booth.
Parent coordinators with an Urban Advantage School Community Trip Voucher receive free admission for 40 people on non–school days. Redeem at admission booth.
Members of Affiliated Organizations
Visitors with valid membership cards for the following organizations receive complimentary admission. Not valid during festivals, ticketed or member events, and other nonpublic hours.
Members of Affiliated Museum and Garden Associations: AHS, APGA, Museums Council
Individual members of the American Horticultural Society and Association of Public Gardens receive free admission with 1 guest.
Individual members of the Museums Council of New York City are admitted with their family members.
Present valid membership card and photo ID with your ticket at admission booth.
Members of AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program Gardens
Members of botanic gardens participating in the AHS Reciprocal Gardens Program receive free admission.
Present valid membership card and photo ID with your ticket at admission booth.
Current employees are admitted with 1 guest during public hours. Employees of Con Edison, National Grid, Orange Utilities, Rockland Utilities, and Stavros Niarchos Foundation are admitted with up to 5 guests.
Corporate members also receive 10% discount at the Garden Shop and on BBG classes.
Present valid, photo work ID (or business card plus photo ID) with your ticket at admission booth.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Volunteers
Active Garden volunteers may show volunteer ID with ticket for free admission with guests.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please contact [email protected].
Closed Mondays (except open October 14, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.)
November–December
Tuesday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Closed Mondays
Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Lightscape runs on select evenings from November 22 through January 5. More info and tickets ›
Admission
All visitors must present ticket for entrance. Members and affiliates with free tickets must also show proof of eligibility.
Advance tickets are recommended. Tickets are available 30 days in advance of visit dates. Same-day tickets may be obtained at Garden admission booths.
Children under 12 are free. Children under 14 must be supervised by an adult 18 or over.
If you are feeling unwell, please reschedule your visit. Tickets are nonrefundable, but may be exchanged in advance for another date (see ticket confirmation for details).
Admissions and membership revenue helps Brooklyn Botanic Garden care for its 52 acres of grounds and conservatories and provide the environmental education programs, breathtaking botanical displays, exciting public events, and community greening efforts that have made the Garden a world-class living museum for all to enjoy. Thank you for supporting this with your visit!
Free Admission Opportunities
Admission is free:
BBG members receive free general admission year-round.
Children under 12 are always free.
Community Tickets: A portion of each day’s tickets are available free of charge to those who need them. Supported by JPMorgan Chase.
Free admission during public hours is also offered to the individuals and groups listed below. Check full details at the link below before planning your visit.
Academic members and participants in the following programs, with valid ID:
Students, employees of Brooklyn College and Medgar Evers
Students, employees, alum of Pratt
Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment students and families, employees
Cool Culture cardholders and their families
Garden Apprentice Program teens and families
Project Green Reach classrooms, students and families (with pass)
Urban Advantage teachers, classrooms, students and families (with voucher)
Visitors with the following affiliations, with valid ID:
Individual members of the following museum and garden associations: AHS, APGA, Museums Council of New York City
Members of gardens that participate in the AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program
Employees of current corporate members
Brooklyn Botanic Garden volunteers
With preregistration:
Public library patrons with a Culture Pass reservation (with pass)
Registered, self-guided school and camp groups
Registered, self-guided groups from nonprofit senior centers, shelters, rehabilitation centers, and other 501(c)(3) organizations serving people with disabilities
Participants in accessibility programs, including monthly Memory Tours
Community Greening & NYC Compost Project workshop participants
Enhance your day in Brooklyn by visiting our neighbor, the Brooklyn Museum! Purchase a Museum & Garden ticket here at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and present your receipt for same-day admission to the Brooklyn Museum.
Museum & Garden visits must be made on the same date. The Museum is closed on Tuesdays.
Offer is not valid for special events.
The Brooklyn Museum’s admission is suggested. Tickets are not refundable.
There is no combination ticket for children under 12 years of age. Children under 12 enter for free.
Official Tourism Partner
Support
Sponsor, Community Tickets
No need to travel upstate or to New England to view beautiful fall foliage—the Garden is the perfect place for leaf peeping. Come see our colorful black tupelos and maples as well as golden ginkgos, scarlet Liberty Oaks, and orange and red sumacs.
Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Get TicketsBecome a MemberPlease note outdoor tours may be canceled in inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
This fall, bring your school group (of any age!) on a self-guided visit to the Discovery Garden. Our volunteer Discovery Docents will lead hands-on activity stations throughout this area of the Garden. Be sure to explore our meadow, woodland, and marsh habitats, too!
This is a free, self-guided program for school groups of all ages. For each time slot, there is a maximum class size of 30 students. We request a minimum ratio of 1 adult per 10 students.
School groups must register in advance for Discovery Garden access at these times. Select a time slot below.
All programs are outdoors and will be canceled in inclement weather. Check this page and your inbox for updates. Questions? Email [email protected].
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden opened in 2016 with a lush design inspired by the wetlands of New York. Gardener Margarita Diaz Poulson thinks of this space as an all-season garden, with something magical to notice any time of year.
Listen along as Margarita shares her favorite highlights from all four seasons.
Learn about riparian plants and water conservation in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden opened in 2016 with a design inspired by the wetlands of New York State. With over 9,000 individual plants, the Water Garden conserves water and provides a habitat for local wildlife. Its lush plantings and secret nooks are a haven of tranquility in our concrete jungle.
I’m Margarita Diaz Poulson, the gardener of this space, and I’m excited to share my favorite highlights.
When visitors ask me about the Water Garden, they often expect to find floating plants or large fountains. But it is a wetland habitat, and many of the plants featured here are riparian plants, from rushes, sedges, and willows to black tupelo trees.
Riparian plants don’t float on the surface of the water. Instead, their strong fibrous roots are anchored along the shore. They are magnificent plants. They are continuously working to prevent soil erosion, while removing contaminants and improving water quality.
The two bodies of open water in this space, along with a hidden piping infrastructure, help the Garden capture, filter, and recirculate rainwater, easing pressure on city storm drains and reducing water consumption.
I like to tell visitors that the Water Garden is truly an all-season garden. Whether you're here in the quiet winter months or the spectacular summer, this space has something magical to offer each visitor.
Spring highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
In early spring, look for the dainty yellow blooms of the cornelian-cherries planted at the south end of the Water Garden, near the Children's Garden house.
While you're here, see if you can find the native sassafras tree and its greenish-yellow flowers. These flowers emerge right before its leaves. One leaf is shaped like a mitten, one like a football, and one like a ghost!
Along the water’s edge, you’ll find native marsh marigolds with yellow blooms that resemble buttercups. You'll also find a diverse collection of sedges and rushes sending up new shoots. Blue herons and egrets start to visit the pond at this time of year in search of their daily snacks.
In mid-spring, don't miss the blooms of Davidia involucrata, an iconic tree located between the Children’s Garden house and the larger pond.
Its large white bracts––or modified leaves that surround the flowers––wave majestically in the wind, resembling handkerchiefs. Known as the dove tree or handkerchief tree, I think of it as the matriarch of the Water Garden.
Summer highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
In the summer, the Water Garden is lush and vibrant.
At the north end of the Water Garden, across from the large lawn, is a tall meadow planted with ironweed, helianthus, echinacea, and rudbeckia. It creates a lovely barrier from the road. Weaving into the meadow is a path with a bench, where you can catch birds taking a bath in Belle's Brook.
Head south on the road and you’ll find elecampane, meadowsweet, lobelia and other plants with histories of medicinal use. Also prominent here in summer are plants in the Malvaceae, or mallow, family. You’ll see the large bright blooms of hardy hibiscus and rose-of-Sharon planted around the large pond near the weir path that bisects the two ponds.
If you're looking for another spot to rest, sit under the shade of the northern catalpa tree, which shows off its string bean-like seedpods from mid-summer through fall.
One of the best things about the Water Garden is the wildlife. From bees to dragonflies to frogs, this garden is full of life in summer. The stars of the show for me are the birds that spend time here, filling the garden with their sounds and entertaining visitors.
One of my favorites is the northern mockingbird. When I'm weeding, there’s bound to be one watching me nearby, waiting for any insects exposed in the soil.
Autumn highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
As the season shifts to autumn, the bright purples and yellows of asters and goldenrod make a spectacular show around the perimeter of both ponds. This perennial pairing is not only attractive to us, but also to bees and other insects.
Near the road close to the Discovery Garden, you’ll also find beautyberry shrubs. They produce clusters of tiny purple, pink, or white berries that sustain many birds through the cold months, while rabbits in the garden enjoy snacking on their foliage.
In the fall and winter, I leave many of our flowering shrubs and perennials standing, rather than cutting them back to the ground. I do this for two reasons: they are a source of food and shelter for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, and I like to showcase their interesting seedheads and seedpods.
It makes for a much more interesting garden space than bare ground, and when rain, snow or ice falls on those stems and seedheads, I think it adds an additional touch of magic.
Winter highlights to look for in the Water Garden.
Read transcript
In the winter, on the south end of the Water Garden, the bare stems of red, orange, and yellow twig dogwoods, as well as the orange stems of flame willows, light up the area with all their colors.
Also on the south end, take in the coppery-colored leaves of Epimedium, or bishop’s hat, before it gets cut back to the ground in anticipation of its early spring flowers.
As we move into January and February, I can't wait to see the fuzzy nubs emerge on the branches of pussy willows as a signal that spring is near. You can find them adjacent to the tall meadow along Belle’s Brook. Some are gray, and some are pink. These nubs are the bud of a flower, called a catkin, that blooms in early spring in a rainbow of colors.
In late winter, we start to cut back many of the deciduous woody shrubs to rejuvenate them before spring arrives. On warm winter days, take a seat on one of the boulders around the ponds, and watch the ducks drift by.
Join Shinnecock tribal citizen Chenae Bullock for an enlightening plant walk through the Native Flora Garden during Climate Week NYC. With a deep passion for awakening humanity to the natural world and our collective responsibility for planetary health, Bullock will share the rich oral histories of her ancestors and their biocentric ways of living along the shores of New York.
Experience a unique blend of cultural storytelling and environmental education as we explore the vital relationship between people and the land. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding of Indigenous wisdom and its relevance in today’s climate discourse.
Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Chenae Bullock is a citizen of the Shinnecock Nation and descendant of the Montaukett Tribe in Long Island, New York. She is the author of 50 Medicines: Indigenous Oral History and Perspective, on which the Ohkehteau (Plants of the Earth): A Shinnecock Oral History exhibit in the Native Flora Garden is based.
Bullock’s writing has appeared in Forbes, Rolling Stone, TedX, Tribal Business News, Bloomberg, Conde Nast Traveler, Indian Country Today, and Yahoo Finance. Following in the footsteps of her ancestors who were whalers and business leaders, the foundation of her work is based on the resurgence of the traditional canoe culture of the Northeast Algonquin communities.
Each summer, Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Lily Pool Terrace lights up with a display of radiant lotuses. All of these cultivars are relatives of the species Nelumbo nucifera, whose common names include lotus, sacred lotus, and Asian lotus.
When you see these remarkable plants towering over the water, captivating in their symmetry and seeming to glow, it’s not surprising that they have played a role in many culinary, artistic, and spiritual traditions throughout history.
Getting to know Nelumbo nucifera
Nelumbo nucifera is an aquatic perennial plant. It thrives in subtropical biomes, with a native range that spans across Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and parts of Oceania (e.g., Western Australia and Papua New Guinea). It has been introduced and cultivated around the world, and there are established populations in the eastern United States.
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A detailed drawing dating to the early 19th century highlights the different plant parts of Nelumbo nucifera. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
At Brooklyn Botanic Garden, lotuses are grown in pots set on pedestals in the Lily Pools and Rose Arc Pool. Some of the cultivars here are hybrids crossed with the native Nelumbo lutea (American lotus), which has distinctive yellow flowers.
In the wild, Nelumbo nuciferagrows from mud found at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and marshes. It reproduces by seed and by rhizomes, which are modified underground stems that behave like roots. Its flowers range from white to pink and can grow about one foot wide; the number of petals varies.
Lotuses are sometimes mistaken for water-lilies (Nymphaea sp.), which bloom alongside them at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. An easy way to tell them apart: Lotuses flower atop long stems, while water-lily blossoms usually stay closer to the water. Lotus flowers’ female parts are enclosed in a yellow cone-like structure at the center of the bloom. That structure later becomes a large seed pod.
The seed pod of a lotus cultivar in the north pool of Lily Pool Terrace. Lotus seeds have been used as food and medicine for thousands of years. Photo by Rebecca Bullene.
N. nucifera has several fascinating qualities. For one, its leaves are notably hydrophobic (i.e. water-repellent), meaning that even in the murkiest swamps, they remain pristinely clean. This self-cleaning ability is known as the “lotus effect,” and has inspired new technologies and materials. Sacred lotuses are also famous for their longevity. UCLA researchers found 1,300-year-old lotus seeds while excavating an ancient riverbed in northeastern China, and successfully germinated them.
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Lotus leaves are considered ultrahydrophobic, with a bumpy, waxy surface that makes them unusually water-repellent. Photo via Vengolis / Wikimedia Commons.
Though N. nucifera plays an important ecological role in its native aquatic habitats, in the United States it is considered potentially invasive and is not recommended for planting in some areas. With the ability to spread in dense mats, it may pose a threat to native aquatic vegetation and dependent animals.
“Rising from the mud yet remaining unstained”
The sacred lotus has been cultivated in Asia for its ornamental, edible, and medicinal qualities for thousands of years, and has extensive cultural significance in the region.
You can find sacred lotuses in classical literature, poetry, and religious texts, in the design of both ancient and contemporary structures like Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Lotus Temple in India, and planted in landscapes and gardens. A fabric made of lotus stems, called lotus silk, is produced by expert silk makers in Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia and sold for high prices around the world.
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Lakshmi, an 1894 print by Ravi Varma, depicts the Hindu goddess standing on a lotus. Image via Public Domain / Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The lotus is an important symbol in dharmic religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It is believed that when the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born, lotuses bloomed to mark his first seven steps. One of the most important scriptures in Mahāyāna Buddhism is the Saddharmapundarikasutra, or the Lotus Sutra.
The lotus has many symbolic meanings, from enlightenment to immortality to beauty and fertility. In his well-known essay “On the Love of the Lotus,” 11th century Neo-Confucian philosopher and poet Zhou Dunyi highlighted the flower as a symbol of moral purity:
“I love only the lotus, for rising from the mud yet remaining unstained; bathed by pure currents and yet not seductive.”
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Lotus Square in Macau. Image via WeelStone / Wikimedia Commons.
The sacred lotus is also the national flower of India and Vietnam, and part of the national flag of Macau. Every June, Macau hosts a Lotus Flower Festival. Lotus-themed celebrations also take place in U.S. cities like Los Angeles and Washington D.C., highlighting the flower and its connection to the cultural heritage of various Asian American Pacific Islander communities.
Helpers in healing (and eating)
Sacred lotus is widely used across Asian traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM) systems to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. Depending on the plant part, sacred lotus is used to help with pain relief, skin issues, urinary problems, gastrointestinal regulation, oral health, and more.
All parts of this remarkable plant are edible, too. The rhizome is acclaimed for its crisp texture and subtle flavor profile, allowing for diverse preparations. In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian cuisine, you can find many different pickle recipes that range from sweet to spicy and sour.
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Mooncakes are made using lotus seed paste and traditionally eaten as part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Image via Fanny Schertzer / Wikimedia Commons.
Lotus root, or nadru, is a core ingredient in Kashmiri cuisine. It is fried as a snack (nadru monje) served alongside chai, or added to yogurt sauces (nadru yakhni) and rich curries. And for those with a sweet tooth, lotus seed paste is a typical filling for the delicious mooncakes eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which originated in China. These treats can be found in bakeries across New York City.
BBG’s lotuses are ornamental and not harvested as food—though Canada geese make regular attempts to swoop down and snack on their rhizomes! Next time you visit in the summertime, stroll over to Lily Pool Terrace and take in these magical blooms while they last.
Celebrate Brooklyn’s West Indian community with a Tuesday Night Fête at the Garden featuring a live DJ. Dance along to Caribbean beats while enjoying a curated cocktail and special food menu, plus take a free tour of the Trees of Little Caribbean exhibit. Bring your flag and get ready to jump into the annual West Indian American Day parade!
Join us in celebrating Caribbean plants and the fruits they bear through this creative activity. Paint a papaya, mango, soursop, or your favorite fruit!
Join Little Caribbean’s favorite ice cream parlor, Mr. P’s, for a special demo of Trini style treats. Children and their caregivers can learn how their tropical flavors come to life in the Discovery Garden!
6:30–7:30 p.m. Meet at south end of Lily Pool Terrace
Trees of Little Caribbean Exhibit Tour
Learn about native Caribbean trees like papaya, guava, soursop, and allspice as well as nonnative plants (like the banana) that were brought from across the globe under colonialism.
Join an interactive workshop on traditional Carnival characters from Sailor to Baby Doll to Moko Jumbie. Learn about the significance of these beloved characters as they are portrayed by artists from Brooklyn’s Little Caribbean.
Led by chantwell & cultural scholar Michael Manswell of performing arts and education organization Something Positive.
Discover BBG’s plants and gardens in peak bloom and other highlights of the season in this free walk led by trained Garden Guides.
Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Please note tours can be canceled due to inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
Kira Louzoun-Heisler (she/her) is a community herbalist based in Brooklyn. She is a recent graduate of the Terra Sylva School of Community Herbalism and is also the Community Greening Outreach Assistant and Instructor at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Fire cider, a folk remedy made from pungent and spicy herbs infused in a blend of apple cider vinegar and honey, is typically made in anticipation of cold and flu season to support respiratory, circulatory, and immune health. Guided by a certified community herbalist, learn the history and chemistry of fire ciders, then choose from a selection of autumn crops, like spicy peppers, garlic, onions, and herbs, to make your own personalized concoction for yourself and your community.
Take home a free plant to try!
ASL interpreter available upon request; contact [email protected] at least 2 weeks prior to the class date.
For more information about BBG’s Community Greening programs, visit bbg.org/community.
Latest News!
september 23, 2024: Today the City Planning Commission voted to send a modified proposal to City Council. City Council now has 50 days to respond.
We are pleased the proposed development has been modified to better suit the needs of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the community, particularly around Jackie Robinson playground, and we thank Mayor Adams, the leadership and staff of the Department of City Planning, and the Planning Commissioners for listening to the people of Brooklyn in looking for solutions to mitigate harm to the Garden.
While the proposal is moving in the right direction, additional modifications are necessary, specifically a decrease from 15-degrees to 10-degrees slope, to prevent serious shadow impacts to BBG’s most vulnerable collections.
We are confident there is a solution that will protect the Garden from severe shadows while allowing for much needed affordable housing.
A New Proposal Would Harm BBG
On May 10, 2024, an application by Continuum Company to up-zone 962–972 Franklin Avenue was entered into the City’s land use review process. The application seeks to allow construction of buildings up to 14 stories plus bulkheads on lots that are currently zoned for seven stories. BBG is opposing this project.
The proposal’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) shows the rezoning would cause unavoidable “adverse impacts due to direct shadows effects on open space and natural resources in Brooklyn Botanic Garden” [download PDF]. In July 2023, when the application for this project was first submitted to the City, representatives of the Garden spoke at the Department of City Planning’s public scoping meeting to express our concerns and to urge that the environmental review process take into consideration the impact of the loss of sunlight on this important resource.
On Monday, June 24, Brooklyn Community Board 9 voted unanimously (with two abstentions) to disapprove the proposed rezoning. They cited the project’s potential for “significant adverse effects on portions of the community district including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) and the Jackie Robinson Playground.” They also noted that “the 1991 zoning of the district previously contemplated the issue of height restrictions for the protection of the BBG and should be sustained.”
On July 26, the borough president issued a recommendation to disapprove the proposal, stating, “I will not support any development here that will create additional shadow impacts.”
On September 23, the City Planning Commission voted to approve a modified version of the application, with three Commissioners voting against approval.
The proposal will now advance to City Council. City Council has 50 days to review the proposal and hold a public hearing. The Council may vote to approve or disapprove the proposal, or to send it back to the City Planning Commission with modifications.
Thank you for your continued support!
FAQ: About the Threat
What is the proposed project?
Real estate developers Continuum Company are asking for a new zoning designation at 962–972 Franklin Avenue, which would result in a 14-story/145-foot-tall tower, plus bulkheads, roughly twice the height permitted under current zoning.
Is this the same project BBG fought a few years ago?
No, it’s the same developer but a new proposal for part of the site. Continuum Company sought a rezoning for 7 lots in 2019–2021 that would have resulted in a 34-story complex. The Garden and community members opposed this massively oversized development, gaining support from City officials and tens of thousands of New Yorkers. The City Planning Commission ultimately rejected that rezoning application in 2021.
The current proposed rezoning is slightly smaller—6 lots—but would have significant and unmitigable harmful impacts on the Garden. With a new massing even closer to BBG’s Conservatory, greenhouses, and nursery, the proposed building would block sunlight year-round. The impact statement shows aggregated shadow for up to 3 hours a day. Around 15% of available sunlight would be lost to the Conservatory through the winter and the nursery through the summer—exactly when the plants in these spaces most need light.
How would shade from this project affect BBG’s plant collections?
Plants need sunlight! In the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the developer disclosed “significant unmitigable environmental impacts,” including loss of sunlight and increased shading, particularly on the Conservatory complex and nursery area.
Loss of sunlight would significantly impact BBGs ability to grow plants for the entire 52-acre Garden, and would harm plant health, plant diversity, and our ability to grow and display plants from around the world.
Isn’t this area zoned for low-rise buildings?
Yes, zoning on the lots where this project is proposed, bordering BBG near Washington Avenue, is now capped at 75 feet (approximately seven stories). These parameters were written into the City Charter in 1991 in order to prevent shadows on BBG’s conservatory complex.
Does BBG oppose other developments in the area?
The Garden pays close attention to all proposed developments in the neighborhood and has not opposed projects that we have determined will not significantly impact our collections. The Garden will oppose projects or rezoning that could harm the Garden and its collections.
Is the Garden opposed to affordable housing?
Categorically not. While we are keenly aware of the affordability crisis faced by New Yorkers, the Garden does not take a position on individual housing proposals or projects unless a development proposal negatively impacts the Garden’s growing facilities and collections.
I’d like to support the Garden—what can I do?
We will keep our supporters updated on the public review process including moments for community input and how and when to reach out to public officials.
In 1991, City Planning proposed an amendment to NYC zoning to “encourage residential development in keeping with existing neighborhood character, and to minimize the potential shadow impact upon the Brooklyn Botanic Garden from any new residential development.” The amendment was adopted after being unanimously approved by CB9, the Borough President, and City Council.
The background further explains, “The purpose of this amendment is to ensure continuous unobstructed sunlight for the Botanic Garden, and to encourage new development which is compatible with the existing building scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood.” The DCP presentation in the matter demonstrated that “harmful shadows could be cast on the recently completed Garden greenhouse, should building development occur to its maximum height potential.”
The application specifically calls out the lots located on Franklin Avenue between Montgomery Street and Sullivan Place which could be developed to 13 stories under the prior zoning. Through the adoption of the amended zoning, this was deliberately downsized to R6A, to “provide the Garden’s greenhouses with safeguards against harmful shadows which could result from future development on underbuilt or vacant sites such as this parcel.”
The zoning that protects this public resource must be retained! This site can be developed without a rezoning that would reverse these protections and harm the Garden. The existing zoning for these lots allows as-of-right construction of 6 story buildings with up to 300 units, and a substantial incentive (485-x) exists to make 25% of these units permanently affordable.
CB9 Resolution Against the Rezoning
In disapproving this application, the Community Board cited the project’s potential for “significant adverse effects on portions of the community district including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) and the Jackie Robinson Playground.”
They also noted that “the 1991 zoning of the district previously contemplated the issue of height restrictions for the protection of the BBG and should be sustained” and “the adverse impacts outweigh the nominal increase of affordable housing stock proposed in the project.” Read the full resolution below.
Brooklyn Borough President Recommendation Against the Rezoning
In his recommendation against the 962–972 Franklin Avenue proposal, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso notes: “The core consideration for this proposal is the potential impact on BBG and JRP [Jackie Robinson Playground], where the acceptable amount of shadow impact on BBG’s sensitive resources is zero. ... This is simply the wrong place for this proposed building because of its adjacency to a critical, public, sunlight-sensitive resource.”
Read the full recommendation below.
City Planning Commission Approves a Modified Proposal
At the public City Planning Commission hearing on August 7, dozens of community members voiced their concerns about the impact this proposed rezoning would have on the Garden; watch a video of the hearing on the Department of City Planning’s YouTube channel. The Commission received 557 statements against the proposal.
On September 23, the City Planning Commission reduced the proposed zoning increase for these lots to R7D with MIH and a C2-4 overlay. An additional restriction limits the maximum height of any structure to below an imaginary inclined plane rising eastward at 15° from a height of 85 feet at the rear of the lot (the area closest to BBG). The Commission then voted to approve the amended application, with three Commissioners voting against it. See a video of the discussion and vote.
The Garden believes that for the health of its collections, the angle of the apex plane should be 10° with a lower height restriction.
From 2019 to 2021, Brooklyn Botanic Garden fought off a serious threat from a proposed development complex that would have blocked hours of sunlight to the Garden’s 23 conservatories, greenhouses, and nurseries, which grow plants for the entire 52-acre Garden site and its community programs. Read about that victory.
Current zoning protects the Garden’s access to sunlight by capping building height at this location. These laws must remain in place to prevent irreparable damage to the Garden.
This is Brooklyn’s Garden, a vital educational and environmental resource for our community, and it’s up to all of us to protect it.
A processional performance by Patrick Costello
BBG artist in residence Patrick Costello’s The Holes are Alive: A Garden Tour is an immersive theatrical performance in the form of a guided tour focused on plants and pollinators.
Bringing together artists, scientists, horticulturists, and other delightful weirdos, this collaborative outdoor spectacle revels in the exuberant messiness of multispecies interactions, especially as they occur within the fraught and necessary space of a garden. Come for the fall blooms, stay for the beetle-magnolia relationship drama. Thistle definitely be something you won’t want to miss!
Performers include: Ash Ferlito, Bex Love, Bruce Baldini, Emily Bate, Evelyn Manlove, Jackie Soro, Jessi Li, Kat Sotelo, Kiebpoli Calnek, Patrick Costello, Pawel Pieluszynski, Quinn Jordan, and Will Lenihan. American Sign Language interpretation provided by ASL artist Brandon Kazen-Maddox.
Suggested for ages 12 and over
Tickets: $22; $18 for Garden members
The 6:30 p.m. show on September 26 includes ASL interpretation.
If you require other accommodations for this program, please email [email protected] by September 11, 2024. Visit bbg.org/access for more information about accessibility at BBG.
Information for Performance Attendees
Advance tickets required.
Enter at 150 Eastern Parkway. Nearest subways: 2/3 to Eastern Parkway—Brooklyn Museum.
The show starts in the Osborne Garden and lasts approximately one hour.
Participants will travel a half mile and make several stops.
Additional details will be emailed to ticketholders the day before the performance.
In the event we must cancel the performance due to weather, we will notify you by 3 p.m. on the day of the show. Unless we have to cancel, there are no refunds.
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BBG artist in residence Patrick Costello
Art in the Garden is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Try your hand at woodblock printing with Sato Yamamoto, a Japanese artist inspired by culture and diversity. Choose the Gardens for Peace pattern or other patterns by Sato and create your own print.
This event is part of Gardens for Peace. Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
This pattern was designed by Toshiko Tanaka, an A-bomb survivor and advocate for world peace.
The design consists of three parts that together represent the word heiwa, which means peace in Japanese:
He (the first arch) I (parentheses) Wa (circle)
Event Partner
Enjoy a peaceful stroll through one of BBG’s best-known specialty gardens. These 20-minute tours highlight the Japanese garden elements in this historic garden designed by Takeo Shiota in 1914.
This event is part of Gardens for Peace. Free with Garden admission. No registration necessary.
Please note tours can be canceled due to inclement weather. Check this page for updates.
View all the residential blocks that participated in the 2024 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. Click the map points to see the names of the registered block associations.
The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is a free annual competition open to all residential blocks, commercial blocks, and community gardens in Brooklyn. For more information, contact [email protected]or 718-623-7250.
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A new anthology edited by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, asks the reader to give back to the nonhuman world with our presence and deep attention, while challenging traditional interpretations of the “nature poem.”
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Ada Limón. Photo by Ayna Lorenzo, courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The collection, published in April 2024, is part of a larger project that includes a series of poetry installations in national parks. The book features work from celebrated contemporary poets like Joy Harjo, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Jericho Brown, and Diane Seuss.
We spoke with Limón in late April from her home in Lexington, Kentucky, where her crabapple tree had just finished blooming. She discussed the ideas behind You Are Here, her changing relationship to nature, and what she’s planting in her garden this year.
In your introduction, you compare assembling this anthology to “rewilding” an area, or nurturing an entire ecosystem. What is the relationship between writing and nature for you?
I’ve always loved the term rewilding. I still remember where I was when I read it. I think that there is often a tidiness when we think about nature, a colonizing aspect when we think about nature, a sense of ownership when we think about nature.
When I was coming up as a poet, I had a lot of different interactions with nature poetry, and for the most part, those poems were white men going to the top of a mountain and having an epiphany. There was this idea that nature is something to be owned or tamed or a portal toward a higher sense of spirituality.
None of those poems dealt with the reciprocal nature of nature itself. Instead, it felt like a separateness that was then oftentimes exploited for a personal narrative.
In conceiving of this book, I wanted to redefine the nature poem, and to offer a sense of the messiness and everyday aspect of nature. I also wanted it to be re-envisioning and reclaiming access to nature for everyone.
Can you tell me about the inception of You Are Here? What was important to you as you were assembling this anthology?
With the project as a whole, I wanted two elements. One of them was to have poetry installations in seven different national parks. I also wanted to do something that pointed out the continual idea of nature. Not just intentional nature—the nature you plan for, drive to, and think of as a destination—but nature that is all around us, nature that is us, our bodies, our breath, our blood, the bird that’s on your window in Brooklyn.
A lot of people think nature is just driving to Yellowstone or Yosemite. But in reality, it’s us. It’s everywhere. The anthology was born out of the idea that there is something equally beautiful and sacred about our everyday relationship to the nature that we interact with all the time.
We are animals living on a planet with other animals and plants. I really want to challenge the idea of separateness because that, to me, feels like where we do the most harm—when we feel like we are completely separate from nature.
A lot of people think nature is just driving to Yellowstone or Yosemite. But in reality, it’s us. It’s everywhere.
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A fig tree in Limón's garden in Kentucky. Photo courtesy of Ada Limón.
So to reimagine the whole concept of nature is to see if we can address our own loneliness, our own need to self-segregate, our own need to feel as if we don’t belong, when in reality, everything around us belongs. We’re all part of this one thing.
Has your relationship to the natural world changed over the years? It’s an important theme in your poetry, but it seems like there is a sense of urgency in your work now.
I’ve always felt like it was one of the main topics that I wanted to spend time with and write about. At the same time, I do think there is an aspect in which the nature poem and nature itself has become political. My relationship to nature has changed because our planet has changed.
You can’t write a poem about a tree and not think about everything that impacts that tree, and not think about ownership and borders and the climate crisis and air pollution. So I think it has changed significantly, because, as I’ve aged, we’ve experienced so much loss.
Did you learn anything new as you were assembling this book?
Well, one of the things that was really surprising to me is that everyone is having a complicated relationship with the planet right now. We can feel like, How do I look at a flower and feel peace and love and ease when so much is happening? When these poems came in, I realized how much they were in conversation, and how beautiful they were as a connected entity.
My love for trees and plants, they saved me. They saved me all the time. I was just outside a second ago letting the dog roam before her lunch. Then I came back inside and I was like, Oh, I’m better. I’m better for just having been outside for one moment and taking a deep breath. So I think the biggest thing that surprised me is that we’re not alone in our complicated feelings toward the changing climate and toward our love of the natural world.
My love for trees and plants, they saved me. They saved me all the time.
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Tulips blooming in Limón's garden this spring. Photo courtesy of Ada Limón.
Where do you write? Do you have a view of the outdoors?
Right outside my office is this beautiful silver maple that I write about quite a bit. She appears in a lot of my poems. For the most part, my favorite place to write is on the screened-in porch outside. I get to see all of the lilacs blooming. The viburnum is there.
Everything just feels really alive. The screened-in porch has two doors, and on one door is a bird’s nest, so I’m trying not to disturb her. I’ve made a big sign on the glass door so that I remember to use the other door instead because I don’t want it to be frightened.
Oh my god, there’s a lot of life that’s out there. That’s one of my favorite places to write because there’s just so much to absorb and receive. It feels like such a gift.
Are you growing anything in your yard right now?
I’m growing so many things, but I will be very honest that I just ripped up my actual vegetable garden in service of a pollinator garden. I travel so much that every time I was doing a vegetable garden, which I loved doing, I was not tending to it the way that I needed to. Now I have all of these beautiful plants and flowers, and so many things are blooming right now.
That’s been really incredible to see, and actually not thinking about it as a way of control, like, Oh, I'm going to make a neat tidy row of lettuces. Instead, growing flowers and watching the bees and hummingbirds come by, there’s a nice freeing moment that’s happening right now in the backyard.
The title You Are Here feels like a call to action. What do you hope readers understand after reading this anthology?
I hope that people find hope in it. And I hope they think about how they might build a deeper connection with what’s around them by understanding where their watershed is, what their native plants are.
I hope people are moved to commit to the world in a new way. If we can pay attention deeply to the natural world, maybe we can love it more.
This year’s Annual Border is reaching its midsummer peak in an eye-catching swirl of vibrant colors and textures.
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The Annual Border in July.
The border was curated by BBG gardener Wayken Shaw, who oversees Lily Pool Terrace, Magnolia Plaza, and the Annual and Perennial Borders. Designed as part of our Natural Attractions: A Plant-Pollinator Love Story exhibition and program series, it highlights some of the fascinating forms plants have evolved to attract different insect pollinators.
Guided by interpretive signage, visitors can explore many different shapes and sizes of blooms, which are factors that help determine which pollinators will visit, along with scent, color, and nectar guides. For example, bees often visit shallow flower shapes with a landing pad, while moths can often reach into longer trumpet-shaped blossoms, and beetles tend to go for large, bowl-like shapes.
Bear in mind that many of the plants featured in the Annual Border are nonnative cultivars that have been bred for showy blooms. If you want to support pollinators in your own growing space, it’s typically recommended that you prioritize “straight” (meaning they occur in the wild) native species that coevolved with native pollinators.
Check out some of the standouts from the Annual Border below, and see if you can guess which pollinator might go for each!
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Bees are often attracted to blue and purple flowers. (Seen here: Browallia americana ‘Blue Morn’.) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES4_BBG_6965.jpg"}
Butterflies love the wide landing pad provided by zinnias (Zinnia marylandica DOUBLE ZAHARA RASPBERRY RIPPLE = ‘Pas1246684’). {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES14_BBG_6937.jpg"}
This grouping of impatiens, sweet alyssum, and zinnia cultivars reflects a variety of floral shapes, sizes, and colors. {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES1_BBG_6971.jpg"}
Bidens species belong to the Asteraceae family, whose members are often visited by bee and butterfly pollinators. (Bidens ferulifolia ‘Golden Eye’){embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES9_BBG_6942.jpg"}
Butterflies are attracted to bright pinks, as seen on these dahlia blooms, as well as oranges, reds, yellows, and purples. (Dahlia ‘Karma Corona’) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES13_BBG_6931.jpg"}
Salvia species are beloved by many different insect pollinators, as well as hummingbirds. (Salvia splendens RED AND WHITE = ‘Pas3287’) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES11_BBG_6926.jpg"}
Tiny flowers arranged in an umbel shape offer an easy landing spot for this small bee. (Visgnaga daucoides ‘Green Mist’) {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES10_BBG_6938.jpg"}
This dahlia cultivar (Dahlia ‘Mystic Illusion’) has an open, shallow bloom. {embed="includes/_inline_image" file="/img/uploads/lightbox/Annual_ES7_BBG_6960.jpg"}
The tubular shape of this bloom might appeal to visitors with a long tongue (or beak). (Petunia EASY WAVE RED = ‘Pas1360461’)
Enjoy the blooms!
Brooklyn Botanic Garden occupies part of the unceded homeland of the Lenape people. Colonial settlers and federal policies perpetrated generations of genocide, forced migration, and systemic, violent oppression that pushed the Lenape west and north to rebuild their nations in the areas now known as Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario. We acknowledge today’s Lenape communities, including Lenape people who belong to the Delaware Nation and Delaware Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma; the Stockbridge-Munsee Community in Wisconsin; and the Munsee-Delaware Nation, Moravian of the Thames First Nation, and Delaware of Six Nations in Ontario. Brooklyn Botanic Garden supports their movements to reestablish their visible presence here, in their ancestral lands.
The Lenape people have intimate knowledge of the organisms and systems that make up this land and understand its deep significance that goes beyond any individual or entity. Partnering with the Lenape Center, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is committed to developing this living land acknowledgement and to continue working with them and other regional tribal leaders.
Informed by their knowledge, Brooklyn Botanic Garden aims to expand our understanding and educate ourselves and the public in a way that challenges the dominant colonial worldview of science, botany, and horticulture.
Barbara Kurland is BBG's director of Learning and Partnerships, where she manages school programs and teacher-training programs as well as partnerships with other institutions. She holds a BA from Vassar College and an MA from Lehman College, CUNY, both in biology, and before joining the Garden in 1989, she taught middle and high school science in the New York City public schools.
Dodo Loechle teaches classes in botany and gardening throughout New York City, including certificate courses in horticulture, plant identification, rooftop gardening, native plants, and proper plant usage. She has also worked at various botanic gardens and estates, including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition to horticulture, she has a background in design and fine metalcraft.
Fabio Andrés Ávila Castillo (Andrés) is a Colombian forest engineer and second-year PhD student in the Biology–Plant Sciences program at CUNY. His research interests are in systematics and biogeography of neotropical vascular plants, especially in the northern South American Compositae (daisy family), and Proteales (Sabiaceae and Proteaceae [macadamia nut family]). He has worked in several botanic gardens: Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín (Colombia), and Kew (UK), in conservation, living collections, editorial work, and taxonomy.
We need to talk about Kevin.
Kevin, short for F#$%ing Kevin, is the name I apply to any one of the many Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) living in my yard. Many gardeners complain of deer, birds, rats. I complain of squirrels.
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An Eastern gray squirrel. Photo by Jean Ogden / Flickr.
We’ve gotten into a vicious cycle. In the fall, the army of Kevins adds a minefield of acorns to my carefully fertilized, mulched, and leaf-covered beds. In the spring, the squirrels and I vie for control. I rip up brand new oak seedlings. They dig in my freshly planted beds for their stored loot, scattering my own seeds in the process. The summer comes, and they attack my growing tomatoes, taking single bites out of each one. They leave them out in the open for me to find, apparently merely to watch me scream. Autumn arrives, and the cycle of squirrel annoyance begins anew.
“Pest” is a word that we apply to many of the creatures that irritate us. They attack our stuff—the crops and gardens we love so dearly. Slugs. Caterpillars. Sap-sucking insects. Seed-seeking birds. Rats. Deer. Squirrels. They’re the multilegged, mobile counterpart of the weeds that also plague us—and they are a lot harder to fight, as they can’t just be ripped up and hurled in the compost.
But as I reported my book, I began to understand that the animals we call “pests” and the plants we call “weeds” all have something important in common: Us.
“Pest” and “weed” are relational terms. Calling an animal a pest, calling a plant a weed, suggests that the creature or plant has little value in our eyes. I hate my Kevins because they are animals in a place I think of as mine. They are doing something I don’t want. They are taking something that I value.
For a word that is supposed to describe an animal, “pest” has a lot of “I” in it.
There are lots of reasons why we give pests their label. They cause frustration and harm—and for those who farm for a living, they can cause real, painful economic loss. But in the home garden, I find these labels often intersect with ideas of control.
In my garden, I’m harnessing the power of soil and sun and seeds to give me food and flowers and green things to fill my eyes and heart and stomach. I plan with careful math, economics, tomato stakes, and a large amount of twine. I work hard, scooping better soil into my heavy clay, wrestling with drip irrigation, and religiously turning my compost. When I’m done, I see neatly arrayed plants, watered on my schedule and carefully plotted to ensure each has their right amount of time in the sun.
What a pest or weed really is, often, is an animal or plant that is thriving too close to us.
Pests and weeds are the chaos that make a mockery of my work. Ivy—the English and poison varieties—creeps in determinedly from my neighbor’s yard. Bamboo springs forth on the other side. Birds scratch at my seeds, and the squirrels, well...
For many, the initial impulse is to poison and punish. To blast the ivy with weed killer and set traps and poison for rats. To scream at the squirrels. But while that might feel satisfying, it can be ineffective. Ripped up plants come right back. Poisoning rats in urban gardens can even have the opposite effect, as those poisoned rats end up in the bellies of local birds of prey, killing the very animals we welcomed as a solution to our pest problem.
What if we turned the idea of the pest around? Instead of asking what will get rid of the thing we hate, why don’t we first ask why it’s there?
What a pest or weed really is, often, is an animal or plant that is thriving too close to us. In a world where our actions routinely drive plants and animals to extinction, they are a success. Their resilience is frustrating, yes. But it’s also intriguing.
The best approach usually starts with a little curiosity. Ivy creeps in because my hill is shaded and bare. In city environments, rats are the natural result of garbage left outside and crumbling infrastructure. Squirrels have strong memories, and will come back to their first tomato spot to find others. Deer munch on tender foods like hostas, and prefer edge habitat.
Learning about our pests allows us to think about prevention, a key principle of Integrated Pest Management. Rats, for example, thrive where there’s lots of food. Changing how your neighborhood stores their trash (as New York City is beginning to do) can send rats seeking elsewhere. This technique requires working together—as a community garden, a set of neighbors, a city.
In my garden, I’m trying to know my own enemies. It starts with defense instead of offense. I’m steadily planting, foot by foot, rows of native phlox and ragwort—groundcovers aggressive enough to stand against ivy, if I help them along. My tomatoes now have a cage, though one that had to be reinforced with twine, chicken wire, and a lining of bricks after three Kevins got themselves stuck inside it. I recently discovered that squirrels often go after tomatoes when what they are seeking is water. This year, I’m adding a tiny water fountain.
I’m trying to garden with a little less control, and a little more understanding. As I do, I’ve dredged up more than a little respect. Ivy makes me curse, but its tenacity also inspires me. The army of smart, athletic Kevins in my yard highlights a thriving suburban ecosystem. The more I learn about them, the more impressed I become. Maybe my local squirrels have earned their tomato tax.
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If you’re new to tree identification or need a refresher, this class is for you. You’ll learn the fundamental concepts used in dendrology while being introduced to the Garden’s most common trees. The class will share some relevant botanical terminology, but will largely apply a jargon-free approach. Participants will also receive recommendations for resources and strategies to improve their own independent self-study. The awareness of trees is one of the best portals into creating a closer relationship with land and nature!
Examine the art of natural perfumery. Gain a basic understanding of the sense of smell, the history of perfume, the advent of synthetic ingredients, and the return to naturals. Explore perfume ingredients and formulation, and leave with two bottles of your own bespoke perfume.
This class offers an in-depth examination of cultural management practices to support plant health and biodiversity in urban gardens. Students will learn how to identify major insect orders and plant pathogens. Through scouting walks on BBG grounds, students will have the opportunity to practice identifying signs and symptoms of plant pests and diseases. Students will also learn how to apply Integrated Pest Management strategies to effectively address pest and disease problems.
Dodo Loechle teaches classes in botany and gardening throughout New York City, including certificate courses in horticulture, plant identification, rooftop gardening, native plants, and proper plant usage. She has also worked at various botanic gardens and estates, including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition to horticulture, she has a background in design and fine metalcraft.
A strong foundation in botany is essential to understanding how to maintain a healthy landscape. This course includes discussions on plant anatomy, plant life cycles and reproduction, taxonomy, and plant physiology. This course requires no previous knowledge of botany and is recommended as a first course in the Certificate in Horticulture program.
Ask a Gardener is a seasonal advice column written by BBG gardener Laura Powell.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden in summer. Photo by Michael Stewart.
What are some natural ways to improve soil fertility without using chemical fertilizers?
Soyan, Staten Island, NY
Dear Soyan,
Investing in your soil is one of the most significant steps you can take to maintain a healthy garden. There are plenty of ways to do so organically.
Whether your gardening space is new or established, a great way to improve soil fertility is to add compost. If you are working in a new space, you can mix the compost into the soil, but if you have an established garden and don’t want to disturb the soil, you can just spread a layer on top. (This is called “top dressing.”) The organisms that live in your soil will move the compost around over time.
Compost can do so much for your garden, including giving your plants a boost of nutrition, improving your soil structure, and improving the microbial activity in your soil. (Composted manure, though sometimes harder to come by, is another option that serves the same purpose.) Top dress in the spring or fall when plants are actively growing. A quarter or a half-inch layer twice a year is a great addition to most gardens.
Mulching is another way to improve soil fertility. The mulch (which can be composed of a variety of materials, including dried leaves and dead plants) will decompose over time, slowly adding nutrients and feeding your soil microbiome. It acts a lot like compost in your garden, just over a longer time period.
In the Herb Garden at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, crops are rotated into different spots each year to prevent nutrient depletion in the soil. Photo by Michael Stewart.
If you’re growing annual crops, like vegetables, crop rotation is another option. Different crops have different nutrient needs and rotating crops to different areas of your garden will help reduce the likelihood of your soil getting depleted of certain nutrients. Crop rotation is most effective when used in addition to organic soil amendments like compost.
Finally, consider cover cropping. This method is suitable for an annual garden, because it is done during your off-season. The way it works is you plant a soil-enriching annual crop like winter rye or crimson clover during the time when your soil would usually be bare—generally winter time for vegetable gardens in the Northeast.
These crops are not harvested, but instead are tilled into the soil or just cut down and left as mulch. If you decide to cut it down and leave it as mulch, you can plant into the area as you would in any mulched area, by pulling the mulch back before planting, and then spreading the mulch around the plants after planting. It’s important to cut down your cover crop before it goes to seed, because you don’t want to have a garden full of cover crop seedlings!
I was given a redbud sapling as a gift. Where do these trees grow best, and how should I care for it?
Michele, Acton, MA
Dear Michele,
A redbud tree is a lovely gift!
There are several species with the common name redbud, but the most common one in our region is Cercis canadensis, or Eastern redbud, which is native to the Eastern United States. It is a small tree in the Fabaceae (legume) family with purplish pink flowers in the spring and beautiful heart-shaped leaves all season long. This species has an important legacy of use by Indigenous communities, from food (its flowers and seed pods are edible) to medicines.
As for where these trees grow best, Cercis canadensis is a fairly adaptable plant and will grow in a range of soils from clay to sandy, though it will thrive best in moist, well-drained soil. It will grow in either full sun or partial shade—it will bloom more if planted in full sun, but it will also need to be watered more often. The mature size of Cercis canadensis is 20–30 feet tall and 15–30 feet wide, so wherever you plant it, make sure it has room to grow.
Redbuds are cauliflorous, an unusual botanical trait that means they can produce blooms directly on their trunks. Photo by Michael Stewart.
Redbuds are pretty tough plants, and since they are native, they are well-suited to our soil and climate. After planting, water it regularly. How frequently you water will depend on the weather, but make sure to water thoroughly when you do. Apply a 2–3 inch layer of mulch at the base of the tree (taking care not to pile against the trunk) to help conserve moisture in the soil.
Given these conditions and care, your sapling will grow into a beautiful tree, and will likely begin blooming when it is 4–6 years old. Enjoy!
How do I deal with pests and insects without using harmful chemicals?
Rudra, Brooklyn, NY
Dear Rudra,
It is entirely possible for a home gardener to avoid using chemical pesticides.
The first step is to focus on improving the overall health of your plants. Did you know that some herbivorous insects are specifically attracted to plants that are stressed? Healthy plants are also able to weather many threats that harmful organisms present.
A few ways to support your plants’ health:
Make sure they are planted in the appropriate cultural conditions (for example, plant sun-loving plants in full sun, shade-loving plants in shade).
Don’t space plants too closely together (proper spacing allows for air circulation, reducing the spread of fungal infections).
Water properly (remember that overwatering can be as stressful as underwatering for many plants).
Maintain soil health (see previous question).
Next, include a diverse selection of plants in your gardening space. Diversity can make your garden more resilient, because there will always be some plants that are resistant to a given stressor.
A ladybug preying on aphids. Photo by Michael Stewart.
When selecting plants for your garden, be sure to include some plants that attract beneficial insects like ladybugs or lacewings. These “beneficials” feed on aphids, mealybugs, and other common garden pests. Yarrow, dill, and cosmos all attract beneficial insects and are beautiful additions to a garden.
Take the time to learn what the beneficial insects in your area look like. This way, you’ll know which insects on your plants are helping your garden.
Physical protections like row covers can also provide protection from insects and other nibbling visitors. For larger insects like caterpillars, you can hand pick them off your plants instead of spraying chemicals. And removing dead plants and debris promptly can reduce certain pests’ ability to hide and reproduce.
Soil solarization, or using plastic sheeting to capture heat in the soil, is another strategy organic growers sometimes use to manage soilborne pests and pathogens. Photo by Michael Stewart.
I recommend thinking of your garden as an ever-changing ecosystem. Some creatures that feed on plants, like aphids, are a necessary part of that ecosystem. For example, aphids are food for lacewing larvae and parasitoid wasps.
Which brings us to the most important piece of advice for avoiding the use of harmful chemicals: Let go of perfection. As long as your gardening space is healthy overall, a little bit of damage is normal.
Got a question for Laura? Submit questions for our fall installment of Ask a Gardener using the form below.
Celebrate autumn with an arrangement reminiscent of cider, bonfires, and dappled sunlight. Using a variety of autumnal blooms and textual elements, you’ll create a harvest-inspired tabletop arrangement fit for the season. The instructor will offer step-by-step instruction—from palette selection and flower care to professional techniques for crafting a lush and unique floral arrangement.
This class will guide you in prepping your plants for the end of the growing season and into the winter months. Learn when to water, feed, and prune; how to increase humidity levels when using indoor heating units; and how to achieve successful results for your indoor tropicals.
Better understand the practical tools and techniques for plant care, pruning, transplanting, and other essential tasks. Learn about the maintenance of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, container plantings, and turfgrass. Become a more well-versed horticulturist through problem-solving, hands-on activities, and garden explorations. Each class session focuses on a different maintenance topic.
This course acquaints students with the field of landscape design. Beginning with an introduction to the history of garden design, the class will progress to include key design principles, terminology, and a general overview of plants and materials. Students will produce a base plan, site analysis, and concept design for an urban garden through hands-on exercises and independent site visits. An in-class exam will be administered during the last session. Attendance is mandatory.
Learn how to create sculptural succulent terrarium ornaments that can thrive for years! Students will learn about making succulent soil, planting techniques for easier acclimation, what types of terrariums do best with succulents, which succulents are best to use, and how to diagnose any problems. You’ll be able to choose between two glass types: two hanging ornaments or one standing terrarium. An informative print-out will be available for you to take home, along with your little green terrarium world. Join us and get your hands dirty—they make great gifts!
Tai chi and qigong exercises improve balance, increase blood circulation, relax your mind and body, and increase your internal energy. The instructor will demonstrate movements. Please come prepared in clothing that allows for movement.
Tai chi and qigong exercises improve balance, increase blood circulation, relax your mind and body, and increase your internal energy. The instructor will demonstrate movements. Please come prepared in clothing that allows for movement.
Learn the basics of getting your garden ready for winter as we near the end of the growing season. This workshop will take place in the historic Children’s Garden, where we will learn hands-on by practicing late-season tasks such as cutting back perennials (or not!), planting spring-flowering bulbs, mulching, and cover cropping. Participants should dress for the weather and wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty.
As you learn to grow and care for landscape plants, it’s essential to know how to increase your stock. In this class, you are introduced to a variety of plant propagation techniques using both seed and vegetative material. After a lecture and demonstration, each method is practiced in a hands-on lab session in our Education Greenhouse.
Butterflies and moths play an important role as pollinators of plants. Their life cycles are fascinating and they are simply gorgeous to behold. Through comprehensive demonstrations and hands-on practice, we will learn to depict the intricate beauty and stunning hues of these winged creatures. We will learn graphite and colored pencil techniques in depth.
A native of Brooklyn, artist Gregory Frux draws inspiration from both urban and wilderness landscapes. His cityscapes explore parks and gardens as well as industrial sites, and his wilderness work derives from are a lifetime of trekking internationally. He has been artist in residence in four national parks and worked as shipboard artist in north and south polar regions. His work is in the collections of Library of Congress, American Mountaineering Museum, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NYC Department of Education, and National Park Service. Greg has also been an instructor at the Art Students League.
Kokedama is the Japanese practice of creating living planters out of moss. Be prepared to get your hands dirty as you learn to mount and display plants in charming moss-wrapped spheres. This workshop will focus on tropical and easy-care plants that let you express your love for plants and design with a one-of-a-kind display. Everyone will make two new easy-care kokedama to take home.
The diverse landscapes of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, from formal esplanades to native flora, provide a unique opportunity to hone outdoor drawing skills. Students will learn to sketch outdoors successfully, whether in the city or remote wilderness. We will cover preparation, portable tools, location planning, and most importantly comfort and safety. Selection of subject matter and pictorial composition are at the core of the class. The instructor will also introduce additional resources for self study, incorporating geology, botany, architecture, etc. This class is suitable for all levels.
Get Tickets Become a Member Full Admission Information › Last entry 30 minutes before closing. Specialty gardens begin to close 30 minutes before closing time. Seasonal Hours October Tuesday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Members’ Fall Mornings: Saturday & Sunday, 9–10 a.m.…
The Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden opened in 2016 with a lush design inspired by the wetlands of New York. Gardener Margarita Diaz Poulson thinks of this space as an all-season garden, with something magical to notice any time of year. Listen along as Margarita shares her favorite…
Ashley Thuthao Keng Dam, Ph.D., is a medical anthropologist, ethnobotanist, and food writer based in the Netherlands. Thao enjoys researching and sharing with others all the interesting ways that plants interact and intersect with our daily lives through their initiative Plant Planet Plate.
Kira Louzoun-Heisler (she/her) is a community herbalist based in Brooklyn. She is a recent graduate of the Terra Sylva School of Community Herbalism and is also the Community Greening Outreach Assistant and Instructor at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
2024 Contest Winners Congratulations to all participants! #GreenestBlockInBrooklyn Learn More About the Contest › 2024 Residential Participants View all the residential blocks that participated in the 2024 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. Click the map points to see the names of the registered block associations. 2024 Residential Category …
Brooklyn Botanic Garden occupies part of the unceded homeland of the Lenape people. We acknowledge today’s Lenape communities. Informed by their knowledge, we seek to educate ourselves and the public in a way that challenges the dominant colonial worldview of science, botany, and horticulture.
Barbara Kurland is BBG’s director of Learning and Partnerships, where she manages school programs and teacher-training programs as well as partnerships with other institutions. She holds a BA from Vassar College and an MA from Lehman College, CUNY, both in biology, and before joining the Garden in 1989, she taught…
Dodo Loechle teaches classes in botany and gardening throughout New York City, including certificate courses in horticulture, plant identification, rooftop gardening, native plants, and proper plant usage. She has also worked at various botanic gardens and estates, including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. In addition to…
Bethany Brookshire is an award-winning science journalist and author of the book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other outlets.
A native of Brooklyn, artist Gregory Frux draws inspiration from both urban and wilderness landscapes. His cityscapes explore parks and gardens as well as industrial sites, and his wilderness work derives from are a lifetime of trekking internationally. He has been artist in residence in four national parks and worked…
