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Join us for a special prix-fixe dinner in the elegant Yellow Magnolia Café.

The menu, inspired by peak summer ingredients and offered at $85 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity), includes three courses and a complimentary aperitif to enjoy on Lily Pool Terrace upon arrival. Add an optional wine pairing for $28. Wines by the glass, specialty cocktails, and other beverages available à la carte. BBG members receive a 10% discount.

Reservations are required. Contact Yellow Magnolia Café with any questions at 929-651-0465 or [email protected].

Please note that dinner guests will enter at 1000 Washington Avenue. Garden tickets are not required for this event.

Reserve for Thursday Reserve for Friday

Summer Dinners in the Garden Menu

Experience a collaborative soundscape exploring the connections between Brooklyn Botanic Garden and its community.

In a live performance layering field recordings from BBG neighbors and visitors with accordion, sitar, saxophone, guitar, and three-part vocal harmony, composer and 2023 BBG artist in residence Kamala Sankaram and bandmates Drew Fleming and Jeff Hudgins will conjure a space of collective listening and dreaming.

Bring a mat or towel, find a spot on the grass of Cherry Esplanade, lie back, and soak up the multisensory experience. Pop-up bar; no outside food, drink, or chairs permitted. Ages 14 and up.

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Be Part of the Show!

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  Soundbath Recording Submission

  With this soundscape, we are creating new sonic connections within the community. You are invited to take part by contributing your own field recording. Submit your recording by Friday, July 11.

  Learn More ›

About the Artist

Known for her “inventive instrumental colors and tender, snappy vocal writing” (The New York Times) composer and 2023 BBG artist in residence Kamala Sankaram moves freely between the worlds of experimental music and contemporary opera.

Constantly pushing the limits of form, works include Singin’ Sing-in, an app and notation system for nonmusicians to compose and perform music together; The Last Stand, a 10-hour opera created for the trees of Prospect Park; Looking at You, a techno-noir featuring live datamining of the audience and a chorus of 25 singing tablet computers; all decisions will be made by consensus, one of the first live performances over Zoom; and The Parksville Murders, the world’s first virtual reality opera.

Also an accomplished performer, Sankaram has been hailed as “an impassioned soprano with blazing high notes” (Wall Street Journal). She is the leader of Bombay Rickey, an operatic Bollywood surf ensemble whose accolades include two awards for Best Eclectic Album from the Independent Music Awards, the 2018 Mid-Atlantic touring grant, and appearances on WFMU and NPR. She holds a PhD from the New School and is currently a member of the composition faculties at the Mannes College of Music and SUNY Purchase.

Artist website: kamalasankaram.com

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Visitors to the Garden can enjoy a range of meal choices from vegetable-centric small plates to heartier main dishes and plant-inspired desserts at Yellow Magnolia Café; pizza, salads, sandwiches, snacks, and beverages at the outdoor Yellow Magnolia Canteen; and hot and cold drinks plus sweet treats and savory lunch items at the Coffee Bar in the Steinberg Visitor Center.

Yellow Magnolia Café

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Yellow Magnolia Café’s menu offers a range of meal choices from vegetable-centric small plates to heartier main dishes and plant-inspired desserts.

Hours

Tuesday and Wednesday: closed
Thursday: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

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Yellow Magnolia Canteen

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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, Wednesday, Thursday: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Coffee Bar

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Enjoy a variety of espresso drinks and iced beverages along with a curated selection of fresh pastries, sandwiches, salads, soups, and snacks in the Coffee Bar in the Visitor Center.

Hours

Tuesday-Friday: closed
Saturday, Sunday: 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

*Please note the Coffee Bar and Atrium seating may close early for private events.

Celebrate summer at the Garden with live jazz on Thursday evenings. Bring a blanket to stretch out and enjoy the music, presented in partnership with local arts organizations. Performances start at 7. Each night also features a tour or other Garden activity. Pop-up bar; no outside food, drink, or chairs permitted.

Wheelchairs are welcome and accessible seating is available for people with limited mobility. Please contact [email protected] with any accessibility-related questions or requests.

All programs free with Garden admission.

Celebrate Pride at BBG! Enjoy Drag Story Hour for children and families and a friendship bracelet-making activity presented by our Discovery Garden team, Conservatory tours with Plant Kween, a salsa dance party with Lulada Club, and a meetup hosted by Queer Soup Night. Be sure to BYO picnic and blanket!

Reserve Tickets

Activities

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  6–8 p.m.
  Atrium Terrace

  Queer Soup Night

  Stop by the Atrium Terrace for bite-sized snacks from Chef Surbhi Sahni of Tagmo NYC (first come, first served) and a meetup with Queer Soup Night.

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  6–8 p.m.
  Palm House

  Make a Friendship Bracelet with the Discovery Garden Team

  Drop by the Palm House between 6 and 8 p.m. to create friendship bracelets using naturally dyed fibers with the Discovery Garden team.

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  6:30–7:15 p.m.
  Palm House

  Drag Story Hour

  Join us for story time and activities with Drag Story Hour.

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  6:45 and 7:30 p.m.
  Aquatic House and Tropical Pavilion

  Conservatory Tours with Plant Kween

  Join Plant Kween on a tour of the Aquatic House at 6:45 p.m. and the Tropical Pavilion at 7:30 p.m.

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  7–8 p.m.
  Lillian and Amy Goldman Atrium

  Lulada Club

  Enjoy a salsa dance party with Lulada Club in the Visitor Center Atrium.

From June through September 2025, Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts Julia Rocha as artist in residence. Drawing from Latin American and Caribbean traditions such as cumbia, bolero, son jarocho, Rocha will write and perform a bilingual music performance connecting the human-plant relationship and exploring our responsibilities as land stewards. Final performance in late September, check back soon for details.

Become a Discovery Docent at Brooklyn Botanic Garden!

Are you a nature lover who enjoys engaging with children? Join us!

Discovery Docents are adult volunteers who facilitate hands-on nature and science activities throughout the Discovery Garden, a one-acre, hands-on garden for kids and families at BBG. Docents interact with learners of all ages.

No prior experience is necessary—all that’s needed is an interest in nature, a willingness to grow and learn, and a friendly team attitude.

Docents are asked to commit to one three-hour shift at the same time each week for an entire season. Each shift includes helping with setup and cleanup, as well as a brief “docent lesson” that deepens our team’s knowledge of plants and BBG.

Participation is contingent upon a brief interview and background check.

Apply Now

Summer 2025 Discovery Docent Schedule

July 9–August 15

Docents choose one weekly shift:

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

First Discoveries (toddler program)

• Wednesdays: July 9–August 13
• Fridays: July 11–August 15

Family Discovery Weekends (all ages)

Sunday, July 6 – docent training for Saturday and Sunday docents

• Saturdays: July 12–August 9
• Sundays: July 13–August 10

This program is designed for the d/Deaf community, without voice interpretation.

Join us in the Children’s Garden for a guided tour and composting workshop led by urban gardener Virginia Shou, supported by BBG compost specialist Katie Lobel.

Learn about composting methods ranging from small-scale backyard piles to New York City’s industrial facilities, then roll up your sleeves and try your hand at the process. Plus, pot up a plant to take home! Light refreshments will be served.

Preregistration is required, and space is limited. Please RSVP to [email protected] if you’d like to attend or have questions about accessibility accommodations. Find more information about general accessibility at the Garden at bbg.org/access.

Almost any tree can be trained into a bonsai with thoughtful pruning and daily care. Join a Garden Guide on a tour to compare miniaturized trees in the Bonsai Museum to their full-size counterparts outside on the Garden grounds.

Free with Garden admission.

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Please note tours can be canceled due to inclement weather. Check this page for updates.

Gardens

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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.

Highlights

Almost any tree can be trained into a bonsai with thoughtful pruning and daily care. Join a Garden Guide on a tour to compare miniaturized trees in the Bonsai Museum to their full-size counterparts outside on the Garden grounds.

Free with Garden admission.

Get TicketsBecome a Member

See all Jazz in July programs ›

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, which includes temperatures above 90 degrees. Check this page 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 educators.

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, which includes temperatures above 90 degrees. Check this page for updates.

Support

Major Supporter, Discovery Programs

Learn and play together in the Discovery Garden! Hands-on stations throughout this area encourage families, school groups, and camp groups to explore nature alongside our teenage Garden Apprentices.

This is a drop-in program for children of all ages. For school and camp groups, we request a ratio of no more than 10 children per adult. Free with Garden admission.

All programs are outdoors and canceled in inclement weather, which includes temperatures above 90 degrees. Check this webpage for updates.

Support

Major Supporter, Discovery Programs

Cultivate a love of nature and a connection to plants in your kids by signing up for a Children’s Garden class at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Children aged 2 to 13 can plant their own crops and flowers and harvest them under the guidance of garden instructors.

See class descriptions, section schedules, and fees below. Be sure to note age requirements and other qualifications.

SPRING & FALL FAMILY PROGRAMS

For children with an adult

• Trees & Saplings

  For 2- and 3-year-olds with an adult
  7 weekly sessions beginning in September

  Learn about the wonders of gardening with your two- or three-year-old during this active hands-on program offered during spring and fall. Our youngest gardeners work with their adult partner to tend to their garden plots, sing songs, taste new foods, and create nature crafts.

  Consistent weekly attendance of one adult per child is required.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for Trees & Saplings

  This is not a drop-off program. Consistent weekly attendance of one adult per child is required. No additional children including infants or older siblings, please.

  Fall Classes

  • 7 Wednesdays: September 10–October 22, 2025 | 9:30–10:30 a.m.
  • 7 Wednesdays: September 10–October 22, 2025 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
  • 7 Thursdays: September 11–October 23, 2025 | 9:30–10:30 a.m.
  • 7 Thursdays: September 11–October 23, 2025 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
  • 7 Fridays: September 5–October 24, 2025 (no class October 10) | 4–5:30 p.m.
  • 7 Saturdays: September 6–October 25, 2025 (no class October 11) | 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Cost

  • 60-minute sections: $250 nonmember/$225 member
  • 90-minute sections: $350 nonmember/$325 member
  • In addition, there is a 4.5% registration fee for all classes.

  Participation Requirements

  • One hour and 1.5-hour programs are offered. We recommend the 1.5-hour class for 3-year-olds or returning families.
  • The class is for one adult-child pair only; no siblings or additional adults please.
  • Children should wear clothing that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes (no sandals).

  Trees & Saplings FAQ ›

  Register for Trees & Saplings program

• Family Fall Frolic!

  For children of all ages plus an adult
  Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Celebrate fall in the Children’s Garden! This is a one-time festive event for kids of all ages and their families. Join educators at activity stations to water plants, decorate a mini pumpkin, go on a scavenger hunt, dig in soil, use a cider press, play garden games, and more!

  One adult-child pair must register to participate together. Up to three children or adults may be added. Programs take place rain or shine. Please note this is not a gardening class.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for Family Fall Frolic!

  This is not a drop-off program. One adult-child pair must register to participate.

  Date

  • Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Cost

  • $40 adult-child pair (nonmember)/$35 adult-child pair (member)
  • $18/$15 (member) for each additional adult or child in the group (up to 3 additional, 5 total)
  • Cost includes Garden admission.

  Participation Requirements

  • One adult-child pair must register; may add up to 3 adults or children.
  • Programs take place rain or shine! There are no refunds or exchanges.
  • Children should wear clothing that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes. We recommend bringing an extra set of clothes for younger children.
  • Class registration includes Garden admission before or after the program; see bbg.org/visit to confirm hours. Show your ticket at any entrance to enter.

  Register for Family Fall Frolic program

• Goodnight, Garden!

  For children of all ages plus an adult
  Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 4–5:30 p.m.

  Celebrate the end of the fall season and say goodnight to the Children’ s Garden! This is a one-time program for kids of all ages and their families. Join educators at activity stations to create fall nature crafts, water plants, use a cider press, play garden games, visit a pretend petting zoo, and more. Costumes are encouraged.

  One adult-child pair must register to participate together. Up to three children or adults may be added. Programs take place rain or shine. Please note this is not a gardening class.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for Goodnight, Garden!

  This is not a drop-off program. One adult-child pair must register to participate.

  Date

  • Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 4–5:30 p.m.

  Cost

  • $40 adult-child pair (nonmember)/$35 adult-child pair (member)
  • $18/$15 (member) for each additional adult or child in the group (up to 3 additional, 5 total)
  • Cost includes Garden admission.

  Participation Requirements

  • One adult-child pair must register; may add up to 3 adults or children.
  • Programs take place rain or shine! There are no refunds or exchanges.
  • Children should wear clothing that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes. We recommend bringing an extra set of clothes for younger children.
  • Class registration includes Garden admission before or after the program; see bbg.org/visit to confirm hours. Show your ticket at any entrance to enter.

  Register for Goodnight, Garden program

• Returning Spring 2026: Family Gardening Hours

  For children of all ages plus an adult
  Single session in April or June

  This is a one-time program for kids of all ages and their caregivers. Join educators at activity stations throughout the Children’s Garden. Plant seeds, water vegetables and flowers, create nature crafts, taste fresh produce, dig in soil, and more! Participants are welcome to register for multiple classes, but activities will repeat. Programs take place rain or shine!

  One adult-child pair must register to participate together. Up to three children or adults may be added.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for Family Gardening Hours

  Cost

  • $40 adult-child pair (nonmember)/$35 adult-child pair (member)
  • $18/$15 (member) for each additional adult or child in the group (up to 3 additional, 5 total).
  • Cost includes Garden admission.

  Participation Requirements

  • One adult-child pair must register; may add up to 3 adults or children.
  • There are no refunds. Exchanges are subject to availability and must be made prior to event date.
  • Children should wear clothing that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes (no sandals).
  • Class registration includes Garden admission before or after the program; see bbg.org/visit to confirm hours. Show your ticket at any entrance to enter.

SPRING & FALL DROP-OFF PROGRAMS

For children on their own

• Seeds

  For 4- and 5-year-olds
  7 weekly sessions beginning in April or September

  Seeds work together to care for their garden plots! Seeds practice real gardening skills such as planting, watering, weeding, spreading compost, and more. Participants harvest and taste fresh vegetables and herbs, create nature art, listen to garden stories, and go on nature explorations alongside a garden instructor and teen apprentices.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for Seeds

  This is a drop-off program.

  Spring Classes

  • 7 Fridays: April 4–May 30, 2025 (no class April 18, May 23) | 4–5:30 p.m.
  • 7 Saturdays: April 5–May 31, 2025 (no class April 19, May 24) | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Fall Classes

  • 7 Fridays: September 5–October 24, 2025 (no class October 10) | 4–5:30 p.m.
  • 7 Saturdays: September 6–October 25, 2025 (no class October 11) | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Cost

  • Friday Classes: $250 nonmember/$225 member
  • Saturday Classes: $315 nonmember/$290 member
  • In addition, there is a 4.5% registration fee for all classes.

  Participation Requirements

  • For Seeds, children must be 4 years old or turn 4 within a month after the program start date.
  • Seeds participants must be comfortable using the bathroom on their own. Child-size toilets are located inside the Children’s Garden House.

  Register for Seeds program

• Sprouts

  For 6- and 7-year-olds
  7 weekly sessions beginning in April or September

  Sprouts work together to care for their garden plots! Sprouts practice seasonal horticulture skills such as planting, watering, weeding, organic pest control, and more. Participants harvest, taste, and cook with fresh vegetables and herbs, create nature art, and go on nature explorations alongside a garden instructor and teen apprentices.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for Sprouts

  This is a drop-off program.

  Spring Classes

  • 7 Fridays: April 4–May 30, 2025 (no class April 18, May 23) | 4–5:30 p.m.
  • 7 Saturdays: April 5–May 31, 2025 (no class April 19, May 24) | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Fall Classes

  • 7 Fridays: September 5–October 24, 2025 (no class October 10) | 4–5:30 p.m.
  • 7 Saturdays: September 6–October 25, 2025 (no class October 11) | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Cost

  • Friday Classes: $250 nonmember/$225 member
  • Saturday Classes: $315 nonmember/$290 member
  • In addition, there is a 4.5% registration fee for all classes.

  Participation Requirements

  • For Sprouts, children must be at least 6 years old, or turn 6 within a month of the program’s start date.

  Register for Sprouts program

• City Farmers

  For 8- through 13-year-olds
  7 weekly sessions beginning in April or September

  City Farmers work together to care for their garden plots! City Farmers practice seasonal horticulture skills such as planting, trellis building, weed identification, organic pest control, seed saving, and more. Participants harvest, taste, and cook with fresh vegetables and herbs, create nature art, and go on nature explorations alongside a garden instructor and teen apprentices.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for City Farmers

  This is a drop-off program.

  Spring Classes

  • 7 Fridays: April 4–May 30, 2025 (no class April 18, May 23) | 4–5:30 p.m.
  • 7 Saturdays: April 5–May 31, 2025 (no class April 19, May 24) | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Fall Classes

  • 7 Fridays: September 5–October 24, 2025 (no class October 10) | 4–5:30 p.m.
  • 7 Saturdays: September 6–October 25, 2025 (no class October 11) | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.

  Cost

  • Friday Classes: $250 nonmember/$225 member
  • Saturday Classes: $315 nonmember/$290 member
  • In addition, there is a 4.5% registration fee for all classes.

  Register for City Farmers program

SUMMER DROP-OFF PROGRAMS

• Garden Adventures

  For children 4 through 13
  Wednesday–Friday for two weeks in July or August

  During this 6-session program, groups work together to care for their garden plots! Participants practice horticulture skills such as planting, watering, weeding, compost exploration, and more. Groups harvest, taste, and cook with fresh vegetables and herbs, create nature art, and go on nature explorations alongside a garden instructor and teen apprentices.

  Dates, Fees & Policy for Garden Adventures program

  This is a drop-off program.

  Dates

  • Session 1: July 9–18, 2025 | Wednesday/Thursday/Friday | 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Session 2: July 23–August 1, 2025 | Wednesday/Thursday/Friday | 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Session 3: August 6–15, 2025 | Wednesday/Thursday/Friday | 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

  Age Groups

  • Ages 4–5
  • Ages 6–7
  • Ages 8–10
  • Ages 11–13

  Cost

  • $425 nonmember/$400 member
  • In addition, there is a 4.5% registration fee for all classes.

  Register for Garden Adventures program

Celebrate fall in the Children’ s Garden! This is a one-time festive event for kids of all ages and their families. Join educators at activity stations to water plants, do fall crafts, pot up a plant to take home, go on a scavenger hunt, use a cider press, play garden games, and more. 

One adult-child pair must register to participate together. Up to three children or adults may be added. Programs take place rain or shine. Please note this is not a gardening class.

Cost

• $40 adult-child pair (nonmember)/$35 adult-child pair (member)
• $18/$15 (member) for each additional adult or child in the group (up to 3 additional, 5 total)
• Cost includes Garden admission.

Participation Requirements

• One adult-child pair must register; may add up to 3 adults or children.
• Programs take place rain or shine! There are no refunds or exchanges.
• Children should wear clothing that can get dirty and closed-toe shoes. We recommend bringing an extra set of clothes for younger children.
• Class registration includes Garden admission before or after the program; see bbg.org/visit to confirm hours. Show your ticket at any entrance to enter.

Make a date to celebrate the Garden in bloom with a tea and a stroll! Purchase a classic or vegan tea box to enjoy on the Atrium Terrace, then stroll the Cranford Rose Garden at peak bloom.

Tea boxes contain assorted sandwiches and snacks (no substitutions). Each box provides a snack for two or a meal for one. Presented at the Visitor Center by Yellow Magnolia Café; available while supplies last.

MENUS

Classic Tea Box $27

Tea Sandwiches

• smoked salmon, fine herb cream cheese on marble rye
• chicken salad with dried apricot & toasted almonds on sourdough
• spinach wrap pin wheel with smoked tomato spread, arugula & grilled zucchini
• classic egg salad on white bread

Sweets & Snacks

• tomato, cucumber, olive & feta skewer
• rose shortbread
• lemon-ube cake
• fresh berries

Vegan Tea Box $25

Tea Sandwiches

• eggplant, roasted red pepper on marble rye
• spiced sweet pea, radish & toasted sunflower seeds on sourdough
• white bean hummus with pickled red onion in pita
• spinach wrap pin wheel with smoked tomato spread, arugula & grilled zucchini

Sweets & Snacks

• tomato, cucumber & olive skewer
• rose shortbread
• lemon-ube cake
• fresh berries

Beverages

Hot Tea | 4.75

english breakfast, earl grey, sencha green, chamomile, or rosehip

Iced Tea | 4.50

black or rosehip & hibiscus

Stumptown Hot Coffee | 4.75

Nitro Cold Brew | 6.25

Oatly Cold Brew | 6.25

classic or horchata

Hal’s Seltzer | 4.

Bar Selections

Summer in a Can by Liquid Fables | 15.50

vodka, sangria, peach, pear & orange

Canned Wine | 12.50

Beer | 9.25

Rosé Menu

Chateau D’aqueria Tavel rosé | 15.

grenache blend, rhone, france

Drop of Sunshine sparkling rosé | 14.

colombard-syrah, California

Cherub | 13.

grenache-syrah, central valley, chile

Join Brooklyn Botanic Garden along with The Nature Conservancy, Trees New York, Forest for All NYC, Marine Park Alliance, and Coney Island Beautification Project for an evening of tree-based learning, engagement, and advocacy in Brooklyn. Learn about urban forestry projects in Brooklyn, the forthcoming citywide Urban Forest Plan, and how you can get involved.

Registration is required. Light refreshments will be served.

Register at Trees New York

This event is hosted by Trees New York in partnership with Forest for All NYC, sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, with thanks to Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Marine Park Alliance.

Panel

Nina Browne, BBG community field manager, and Pamela Pettyjohn, founder, Coney Island Beautification Project, will talk about how BBG’s free community greening programs help build community power while supporting local street trees, block by block.

Scott Middleton, executive director, Marine Park Alliance, will discuss his organization’s mission and how they are engaging volunteers to care for the trees in this remarkable 798-acre park.

Sam Bishop, education director and arborist for Trees New York, will discuss its most recent planting and storm resiliency project centered on and around NYCHA sites in NYC that lost trees to Superstorm Sandy.

Moderated by Tami Lin-Mogis, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Cities program in New York.

Be part of a performance at the Garden!

Natural Connections: Soundbath will present a collaborative soundscape layering field recordings from the BBG community with accordion, sitar, saxophone, guitar, and three-part vocal harmony. You are invited to join composer and 2023 BBG artist in residence Kamala Sankaram and her bandmates Drew Fleming and Jeff Hudgins by contributing your own sounds.

Submit your own field recording below. Then come to the Soundbath (tickets on sale now!) on Monday, July 21, 2025 to hear it all come together.

Recordings may be submitted until Friday, July 11.

Soundscape Field Recording

With this soundscape, we are creating new sonic connections within the community. To take part, use your phone to submit a recording of either sounds of the world or sounds of the imagination, using the prompts below to guide you.

Start with a short meditation to focus your listening.

• Close your eyes. Focus your attention on your ears, letting yourself notice the sounds around you. Concentrate only on your left ear—what are the sounds coming from your left side? Now what are the sounds coming from your right?
• Let your attention settle back to the center.
• Are the sounds natural? Are they mechanical?
• Do you hear interesting rhythms?
• Do any of the sounds make melodies?
• What is the highest sound you hear? What is the lowest?
• What is the quietest sound you hear? What is the loudest?
• What is the most distant sound?

Sounds of the world

Now that you have gotten to know the sounds around you, make a recording that you feel best captures your soundscape. Get closer to the source of the sound to make it louder in the recording. Move around your space to change the direction of your listening. Choose the sound or sounds that represent where you are in this present moment.

Sounds of the imagination

If you could imagine your dream environment, what would that place sound like? Let yourself really listen and try to imagine those sounds (again, it may help to close your eyes). Is there anything in your environment now that reminds you of your dream? Make a recording of that sound.

Field Recording Example

This is the refrigerator in my hotel room. I recorded it with the voice recorder app on my iPhone. This is the sound that is most present in the soundscape I’m in right now.

Upload a Sound File

Upload your recording for the Soundscape.

Deadline: Friday, July 11.

Join us to celebrate 100 Years of Bonsai at Brooklyn Botanic Garden! You’ll find new interpretive signage in the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum, a gallery exhibit, and an outdoor bonsai display on Magnolia Plaza. Interpretive programs and musical performances help launch this special anniversary.

All programs free with Garden admission.

Get Tickets Become a Member

Opening Day Activities

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  11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
  Conservatory Gallery

  The Mountain, the Tree, and the Man

  In this manga exhibit by Misako Rocks!, a bonsai shares memories of its life and the story of BBG’s first bonsai gardener, Frank Okamura. Plus, learn from Okamura in a 1971 training video.

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  11 a.m.–1 p.m.
  Bonsai Museum

  Bonsai Mini Tours

  Drop in to the Bonsai Museum to learn about the art, history, and care of bonsai from trained Garden Guides, and get a close look at a tiny tree from BBG’s Education collection.

Support

Friends of Japanese Collections and Programs at BBG
J.C.C. Fund of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York
MUFG Bank, Ltd.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is marking 100 years of its incredible Bonsai Collection with an expanded display of specimens along with new interpretive signage plus special tours, exhibits, and workshops. Celebrate a century of tiny trees with us!

About the Collection

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  History

  From a small start, BBG became known worldwide for its bonsai, as well as its early efforts to educate the public about this horticultural art form. Learn More ›

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  C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum & Outdoor Display

  The Garden’s collection of approximately 400 bonsai is the second oldest in the country and one of the largest on public display outside Japan. Learn More ›

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  Gardener’s Choice: Bonsai

  Bonsai gardener David Castro shares some of his favorite trees and explains how they are cultivated. Learn More ›

Special Events

• Tours Don't Miss

  Bonsai Mini Drop-In Tours

  Saturdays & Sundays, June 14–29; Saturday, July 19; August 9; September 20; October 18 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Drop-in

  Learn about the art, history, and care of bonsai from trained Garden Guides, and get a close look at a tiny tree from BBG’s Education collection. Learn More › about Bonsai Mini Drop-In Tours

More About Bonsai

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  Bonsai Styles

  Five basic forms derive their names from the tree’s angle of growth from a container and provide a common starting point for exploring bonsai styles. Learn More ›

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  Q&A with Bonsai Gardener David Castro

  The gardener of the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum discusses bonsai, his path to the Garden, and BBG’s collection. Learn More ›

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  Small Tree, Big Heart

  If one connects to bonsai through the heart, one can experience the essence of the natural world in a pot. Former BBG bonsai gardener Julian Velasco contemplates the nature of bonsai. Learn More ›

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  Bonsai at Terrain

  Gifts, plants, and tools for the bonsai enthusiast. Visit Terrain at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, across from the Visitor Center.

Support

Friends of Japanese Collections and Programs at BBG
J.C.C. Fund of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York
MUFG Bank, Ltd.

Drop in to the Bonsai Museum to talk with trained Garden Guides about the art, history, and care of bonsai. Learn about BBG’s collection, view season standouts, and ask questions. Plus, get an insider’s look at tools and care at a special interactive station featuring trees from BBG’s Education collection.

Free with Garden admission; no registration necessary.

Get Tickets Become a Member

Get Tickets Become a Member

Seasonal Hours

Through May 26, 2025

• Tuesday–Thursday: 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
• Friday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Closed Mondays (except open Memorial Day, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.)

Special events & programs

See Full Event Calendar >

Guided Tours

See All Tours & Itineraries ›

Family Activities

See All Family Programs >

Member Events

See All Member Events >

Tree peonies, bluebells, lilacs, azaleas, wisteria, and more lovely plants are in bloom in late April through early June. Here’s what to see.

Plan Your Visit

Lilac Collection

May is the season for lilacs, and the re-established lilac collection features over 100 plants propagated from the original specimens in the Garden’s historic collection.

Look for

• Early lilacs bred by famed early 20th-century French breeder Victor Lemoine, known for his double-flowered hybrids.
• The bicolor cultivar ‘Sensation’. It has stunning purple petals edged with white.
• The later-blooming, white-blossomed Syringa reticulata species and cultivars. Their fragrance has a spicy character and is less sweet than that of many other lilacs.

Osborne Garden

This semiformal Italianate garden is in its full glory in late spring. The lush lawn is surrounded by walkways lined with lovely, spring-flowering plants.

Look for

• Fragrant flowering crabapple trees. Several cultivars, some pink and some white, blossom in late April and into May.
• Japanese wisteria draping the garden’s ten stone pergolas. These graceful vines are hard to miss when in bloom in May and beyond, but also notice the way the woody stems twist around the columns.
• Vibrant azaleas, blooming in hues of pink, red, and fuchsia.

There are also annuals planted in beds along the Boulder Wall on the western border of the Osborne Garden. Two terraces with benches provide peaceful spots to sit and take in the view.

Tree Peony Collection

These gorgeous flowers bloom in early to mid-May. There are around 300 plants in the collection, all Japanese cultivars, and all are fragrant, especially in the morning.

Look for

• Lavender cultivars ‘Kamada Fuji’ and ‘Fuji no Sato’, which have large blooms with clear, intense color.
• Huge white ‘Godaishu’ and ‘Tama Usagi’ blossoms. Some are the diameter of dinner plates!
• Red- and white-streaked ‘Shima Nishiki’ peonies. Bicolored petals are rare in peonies, and each flower’s pattern is unique.

Also see

Mountain laurel and irises in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, Water Garden, and Discovery Garden.

Rhododendrons, azaleas, and columbines in the Rock Garden.

More than 50,000 Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica ‘Excelsior’) in Bluebell Wood.

Plan Your Visit

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Brooklyn Botanic Garden! We are currently recruiting Discovery Docents. Other volunteer positions open periodically as needs arise.

Corporate Volunteers

Corporate Groups

Corporate groups have the opportunity to volunteer at the Garden through our Corporate Membership Program. Volunteering at BBG is a great team-building exercise for your employees and helps us keep the Garden beautiful. For inquiries related to corporate volunteer groups, email [email protected]. Not a Corporate Member? Visit Corporate Partnership.

Now Recruiting

Discovery Garden Docents

Discovery Docents lead activities for visitors in our Discovery Garden, a one-acre space for children to explore plants and ecosystems through hands-on play and scientific investigations. Commit to one three-hour shift each week for the duration of a season. This position requires a one-day training session.
(Tuesday–Sunday mornings, spring–fall)

Learn more about becoming a Discovery Docent ›

Typical Opportunities—No Current Openings

Children’s Garden Horticulture & Composting

Assist Education staff with garden tasks in the Children’s Garden once per week during the growing season. Volunteers can choose either horticulture or composting. Horticulture volunteers assist with weeding, pruning, watering, bed preparation, and other tasks. Compost volunteers assist with processing food scraps and other plant debris, sifting, and making compost for the Children’s Garden.
(Tuesday mornings, 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m., March–November)

Garden Guides

Lead free public tours and registered adult tour groups Tuesdays–Sundays. This position requires extensive training and monthly continuing education sessions.

Horticulture

Assist the gardeners by pruning, planting, raking, mulching, watering, and weeding. Work with the gardeners to help maintain and further the Garden’s beauty.
(Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays only when openings available; 9 a.m.–12 p.m.)

Tour Support

Assist the Garden Guides who lead public and private tours of the Garden by preparing and distributing listening devices to tour participants. Accompany the tour to monitor the devices while learning about the Garden in all seasons from our knowledgeable guides; collect and sanitize the listening devices so they’re ready for use on the next tour. If you’re interested in becoming a Garden Guide when the next training is offered, tour support experience is a prerequisite.
(Tuesday–Sunday; shifts vary seasonally, late morning to early afternoon)

Visitor Center

Welcome our visitors to the Visitor Center and help by giving directions, answering questions about the Garden, selling Memberships, and stocking brochures and maps. This position requires one day of training.
(Tuesday–Sunday; 10 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Weekend Greeters & Special Event Support

Welcome visitors, answer questions, and staff information tables. During special events, assist in crowd movement, hand out programs and support materials, work behind the scenes with the performers, and fill in wherever needed.
(Saturdays or Sundays; 9 a.m.–6 p.m.)

Visitors with disabilities and their families can explore and play in the Discovery Garden alongside trained volunteer Discovery Docents. Explore the garden at your own pace and participate in multisensory activities.

Hands-on exhibits feature sound, visual, and tactile elements designed for accessibility. Help plant, harvest, and compost; touch and smell plants; create a craft using natural materials; and pot up a plant to take home!

Know Before You Go

• A visual schedule and details about transportation, entry, and what to expect will be sent out in advance to registered families.
• 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.
• 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 are available with request at least two weeks in advance; requests made less than two weeks before this event cannot be guaranteed.

We invite your feedback as we strive to make the Garden engaging for families who have children with disabilities.

RSVP Required

Support

Major Supporter

Adult Programs

Kids & Families

Teachers & Schools

Sunrise

Welcome the longest day of the year with a transformative sunrise experience. Join composer/saxophonist Matthew Evan Taylor, accompanied by Metropolis Ensemble’s chamber orchestra, for a guided musical meditation. Inspired by Taylor’s AfroPneumatic series, Afropneuma* explores the profound connection between breath, sound, and Black identity. This new work invites participants to become part of a communal soundscape.

Sunset

Settle in to sunset with Matthew Evan Taylor’s Afropneuma, then let the energy build as Erik Hall’s visionary reimagining of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians** takes you on a hypnotic journey—its rhythmic pulse transformed through electric guitars, basses, synths, and voices, with Metropolis, Erik Hall, and the electric guitar quartet Dither, all led by guest conductor and pianist Georgia Mills.

Get Tickets

* World premiere 2024/25 BBG and Metropolis Ensemble co-commission
** World premiere arrangement

Visitor Information

• During the performances, you may sit on a yoga mat (best for morning dew), blanket, or stadium chair (no folding chairs, please). There will be a small section reserved for people who require a seat. If you require any accessibility accommodations, please contact [email protected].
• Admission before 10 a.m. and after 7:30 p.m. is at 990 Washington Avenue only. There is no Garden entry between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Last entry is at 9 p.m.
• Evening performance takes place on Cherry Esplanade and other areas of the Garden are closed.
• Nearest subways: 2/3 to Eastern Parkway—Brooklyn Museum or 4/5 to Franklin Avenue (no elevator).

About the Artists

Metropolis Ensemble

The Grammy-nominated nonprofit Metropolis Ensemble is dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious projects in contemporary music. Since its founding in 2006 by conductor Andrew Cyr, the NYC-based ensemble has brought together expert musicians for each project, expanding opportunities for emerging composers and performers while captivating audiences through bold collaborations and inventive instrumentations.

Metropolis has premiered hundreds of new works at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Met Museum, Lincoln Center, BAM, Celebrate Brooklyn(!), Brooklyn Steel, New Victory Theatre, and on The Tonight Show. The ensemble’s creative partnerships extend to leading cultural institutions, including Creative Time, COSM LA, Dacamera, Cambodian Living Arts, Dumbarton Oaks, and BBG.

Metropolis Ensemble’s studio recordings have earned national and international acclaim. Most recently, The Blind Banister (Timo Andres/Nonesuch) was nominated for the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album and featured in The New York Times, Gramophone, and on NPR as one of the Best Classical Albums of 2024. Other notable recordings include Telekinesis (Tyondai Braxton/Nonesuch), which earned two 2023 Opus Klassik nominations, and Homestretch (Timo Andres/Nonesuch), recorded at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall, for which producer David Frost won the 2014 Grammy for Classical Producer of the Year. The ensemble’s recording of Dreamscapes, featuring Vivian Fung’s Violin Concerto—commissioned and recorded by Metropolis—won Canada’s 2013 Juno Award for Best Classical Composition. Their debut album, Concertos (Avner Dorman/Naxos), featuring conductor Andrew Cyr and mandolinist Avi Avital, earned their first Grammy nominations in 2010.

Through groundbreaking collaborations and acclaimed performances, Metropolis Ensemble continues to redefine contemporary classical music and inspire audiences worldwide.

Join us for a prix fixe brunch celebrating Mother’s Day in the elegant Yellow Magnolia Café.

$72 per adult/$23 per child (exclusive of tax and gratuity) includes three courses. Wines by the glass, specialty cocktails, and other beverages available à la carte. BBG members receive a 10% discount.

Reservations are required. Contact Yellow Magnolia Café with any questions at 929-651-0465 or [email protected].

Mother’s Day Weekend Menu

As the Spring Gala winds down, join us for the After Party—a high-energy celebration, complete with great music and peak spring vibes. Dance the night away surrounded by blooms and fellow garden lovers at Brooklyn’s most vibrant celebration of the season.

Tickets include special access and two hours of open bar with signature cocktails, beer, wine, desserts, photo opportunities, activities, and more. Proceeds from the After Party provide essential support for the Garden’s programs and plant collections.

Advance ticket purchase required; space is limited.

Strictly 21+; valid ID required | Advance ticket purchase required
All tickets will be held at the door.

Dress to impress! Festive floral attire encouraged.

Event Contributors

This program is designed for the d/Deaf community, without voice interpretation.

Join us for a beautiful spring evening in the Garden and a program led by NYC-based deaf urban gardener Virginia Shou.

A social hour with light bites and refreshments will be followed by a short tour of the Garden and its seasonal highlights. We’ll also get our hands dirty by making wildflower seedballs to take home, helping to support native pollinators and biodiversity in NYC.

This program is free but space is limited and preregistration is required. Please RSVP to [email protected] if you’d like to attend or have questions about accessibility accommodations. More information about general accessibility at the Garden can also be found at bbg.org/access.

Join Onondaga farmer, seedkeeper, and educator Angela Ferguson as she plants Three Sisters seeds in the Discovery Garden’s courtyard. The Three Sisters (corn, squash, and beans) have been planted together by Indigenous people in the Americas for thousands of years, with the understanding that each of these plants supports and reinforces the growth of the others.

This is a drop-in program for visitors of all ages, including children. Free with Garden admission.

Get Tickets Become a Member

All programs are outdoors and canceled in inclement weather. Check this webpage for updates.

Project Leader

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  Angela Ferguson, a member of the Onondaga Nation (Eel Clan), is supervisor of the Onondaga Nation Farm and a member of Braiding the Sacred, a grassroots network of Indigenous corn growers. She is known as a leader in the Indigenous food sovereignty movement. Read BBG’s interview with her in Garden Stories: Angela Ferguson of Onondaga Nation Farm on the Importance of Saving Seeds.

Support

Major Supporter, Discovery Programs

Learn and play together in the Discovery Garden! Hands-on stations in the courtyard encourage families to explore nature alongside our volunteer Discovery Docents. Be sure to explore our meadow, woodland, and marsh habitats, too!

This is a drop-in program for families with children of all ages. Free with Garden admission.

All programs are outdoors and will be canceled in inclement weather. Check this page for updates.

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.

Support

Major Supporter, Discovery Programs

Bonsai gardener David Castro shares some of his favorite trees and describes how they are cultivated.

Rocky Mountain Juniper

Juniperus scopulorum

“This is a fan favorite at BBG. The Rocky Mountain juniper is about 500 years old. Older trees are cared for differently than younger trees; they need to be pruned, reshaped, and repotted at particular times in the year. With respect to their age, you go a little easier on older trees, maintaining their shape rather than making big changes.”

STYLE: Full Cascade This style is meant to depict a tree hanging from the side of a cliff by the seashore or a stream. Aesthetically, the tree must never touch the surface of the stand on which it is displayed.

Members of the Garden Circle are invited to join us for a Blooming Trees Tour. Explore BBG’s beautiful spring-flowering trees from cherry blossoms to magnolias in this special walk led by trained Garden Guides. There are two opportunities to join the hour-long tour: one at 9:30 and another at 10 a.m.

This invitation is for two and is nontransferable. Space is limited for this outdoor tour. Be sure to RSVP below to save your spot. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Celebrate cherry blossom season and all the spring blooms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden with casual, pop-up music and dance performances, morning programming for kids and families in the Discovery Garden, and Garden tours.

All programs free with Garden admission.

Get Tickets Become a Member

Events may be canceled in inclement weather. Check back for any updates.

• Don't Miss

  Weekends in Bloom: Saturday, April 26

  Saturday, April 26, 2025

  Join us for performances including high-energy dancing and drumming, a roaming band, and Japanese classical dance. Plus take a tour of seasonal highlights—in Spanish or English—and bring the kids for hands-on nature exploration in the Discovery Garden. Learn More › about Weekends in Bloom: Saturday, April 26

• Don't Miss

  Weekends in Bloom: Sunday, April 27

  Sunday, April 27, 2025

  Take in Japanese classical and folk music and dance performances and an all-clarinet quartet, join for family programs in the Discovery Garden, and take a Garden tour to see what’s in bloom. Learn More › about Weekends in Bloom: Sunday, April 27

• Don't Miss

  Weekends in Bloom: Saturday, May 3

  Saturday, May 3, 2025

  Unwind with a forest bathing walk, enjoy an accessibility program, experience the energy of the Brooklyn United Marching Band, or take a Seasonal Highlights Tour to see the Garden in full bloom. Learn More › about Weekends in Bloom: Saturday, May 3

• Don't Miss

  Weekends in Bloom: Sunday, May 4

  Sunday, May 4, 2025

  Move your feet to a Rio-style drum and dance procession, Haitian rhythms, and Japanese thunder drumming, enjoy family programs in the Discovery Garden, and take a tour with one of our Garden Guides. Learn More › about Weekends in Bloom: Sunday, May 4

• Don't Miss

  Weekends in Bloom: Saturday, May 10

  Saturday, May 10, 2025

  Learn and explore with hands-on nature activities for families in the Discovery Garden, get energized with lively drumming and dance, be amazed by beatboxers and roaming carnival performers, and take a guided Garden tour. Learn More › about Weekends in Bloom: Saturday, May 10

• Don't Miss

  Weekends in Bloom: Sunday, May 11

  Sunday, May 11, 2025

  Enjoy a vibrant mix of traditional Indian Bharatanatyam dance, Caribbean guitar stylings, folk-rock chanson music, a jazz quartet, family programs in the Discovery Garden, and a guided tour to explore the Garden’s seasonal blooms. Learn More › about Weekends in Bloom: Sunday, May 11

Support

Major Supporter, Discovery Programs

Join us in celebration of spring’s bounty as we highlight collections in bloom beneath the canopy of BBG’s blossoming trees. Enjoy a delightful evening with refreshing cocktails, light bites, and a live jazz band, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Garden in full flower.

Event RSVP

Tickets are limited and first come, first served.

This invitation is for two and is nontransferable. Enter the email address for your President’s Circle membership to register.

After-School Professional Development Program “P” In‑Service Course/NYC Public Schools

What Did a Plant Ever Do for You?

3 “P” Credit Course*

Deadline to register August 10

Are you interested in learning about the fascinating world of plants? Explore the beautiful gardens and collections at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and gain an understanding of the value of plants in natural and human history. Through an inquiry-based approach, we will discover how plants are built, how they work, and how they interact with the living and nonliving components of the diverse environments they inhabit. Emphasis is placed on experiential, authentic learning that participants can readily bring back to their classrooms.

In-person classes run 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday. An additional 7.5 hours of asynchronous work will be assigned, beginning on August 11. Fee includes curriculum materials and resources, plants and potting-up supplies, and access to the Garden.

Pre-K–12 Teachers

Fee: $250; there is a 4.5% registration fee for all courses.

Date: Hybrid course begins online on August 11, 2025. Five in-person sessions: August 18–22, at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Registration opens June 1, 2025.

Register

For questions, please contact us at [email protected].

*3 “P” credits available for an additional $125 fee through the After School Professional Development Program. You must register both for the class through BBG and for the credit through ASPDP.

Register with ASPDP to receive “P” credits ›

Customized Professional Learning Workshops

Are you interested in developing a program tailored to support your staff’s professional goals or helping educators learn how to integrate plants and the beautiful collections of the Garden to support student learning?

Contact the Garden to explore the suggested workshop topics below or collaborate to create your own unique experience!

• Kitchen Botany: Plants We Eat
• Trees and Plants of Little Caribbean
• Nature for Early Learners
• Exploring Plant Adaptations
• Sensory Learning in the Garden
• Exploring Native Plant Communities
• Food and Social Justice
• Agriculture and our Food System
• Urban Environmental Sustainability

To arrange a customized workshop, please complete the Professional Development Workshop Request Form and we will contact you within 3–5 business days.

Request a Professional Development Workshop

For more information, contact us at [email protected].

Learning Standards

There’s still a chill in the air, but the Conservatory is in full bloom, and some early-spring highlights are beginning to pop. Here’s where to look:

Warm Temperate Pavilion

The best time to visit the Warm Temperate Pavilion is between January and April. Upon entry, visitors are immersed in colorful blooms and the scent of fragrant olive, citrus, and other sweetly scented plants.

Look for

• South African bulbs. Most of the geophytes (commonly called “bulbs”) in BBG’s Warm Temperate Pavilion are native to South Africa, specifically to the Cape Floristic Region on the country’s southwestern tip, a biodiversity hotspot. Their bright and delicate blooms are best seen in February and March.
• Heart-leaved pelargonium. Pelargoniums, whose hybrid forms are often known as geraniums, are beloved by gardeners around the world, but most species are native to southern Africa. Learn more about the history and ecology of Pelargonium cordifolium, a fire-adapted shrub with heart-shaped leaves and blooms.
• Caper bush. Did you know that capers are the immature bud of a flower? Left unharvested, they transform into blooms that hold a cluster of long purple stamens.

Late Winter and Early-Spring Bulbs

In January and into March, delicate bulbs begin to dot the landscape. White snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) and hellebores (Helleborus sp.) bloom throughout winter, followed by winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) and eastern cyclamen (Cyclamen coum) in late winter. Dramatic drifts of purple crocus, often seen in March, are a crowd-pleasing early sign of spring.

Entry Garden

Near the Flatbush entrance of the Garden, you’ll be greeted by hellebores, camellias, and dawn arrowwood (Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’). Keep an eye out for the amazing bloom of the paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha), whose beautiful silvery buds open in a burst of yellow in late winter and early spring.

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s bonsai collection, which is displayed in the Steinhardt Conservatory’s C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum. From a small start, BBG would become known worldwide for its bonsai, as well as its early efforts to educate the public about this horticultural art form.

The practice of bonsai, meaning “planted in a tray,” originated in China and was adapted and developed in Japan. In this practice, trees are trained to grow in miniature and express different aesthetic visions and shapes. Careful pruning, wiring of branches, and daily watering go into the care of bonsai.

Bonsai Beginnings

The Garden’s collection started in 1925 when landscape designer and nursery owner Ernest F. Coe donated a selection of plants imported from Japan. Housed in beautiful pots, species included pines, junipers, cypress, oaks, and maples, as well as shrubs like aucubas, skimmia, palms, azaleas, wisteria, euonymus, bamboo, and ilex.

In the early years, the bonsai collection was displayed in the greenhouses on benches next to the Palm House. At the time, no one on staff was trained to care for these special trees.

In 1947, Frank Masao Okamura was hired by Dr. George Sherman Avery, then director of the Garden, to freshen up the Japanese Garden, which had been vandalized and closed during World War II. Soon after, Okamura was given the bonsai collection to oversee as well.

Okamura had owned a gardening business in California until 1942, when he and his family were forcibly relocated by the U.S. government and incarcerated in a detention camp. They were among more than 100,000 people of Japanese descent who were sent to wartime concentration camps in an order Congress later acknowledged as unconstitutional and racially motivated.

After the war, Okamura came to New York and soon found work at BBG, where he would spend the rest of his career and ultimately become known as one of the most influential bonsai teachers in the United States.

Growing and Teaching

When Okamura started at the Garden, the bonsai collection consisted of only 11 plants. It eventually grew to 1,000 during his tenure.

He grew bonsai from cuttings and even sourced plants from the wild. He understood that city dwellers could not grow traditional bonsai like pines and maples indoors, so he experimented with tropical and semitropical species. He created bonsai from ficus, serissa, natal plum, and even many types of citrus trees.

As little was known about the practice of bonsai within the U.S. horticultural community, in 1953 Dr. Avery commissioned a handbook on the bonsai of Japan from guest editor Kan Yashiroda. Yashiroda solicited articles from many bonsai experts and then translated them from Japanese to English, bringing knowledge of the form to American enthusiasts.

In 1954, Dr. Avery and Okamura cotaught a weekly bonsai class, allowing students to take their bonsai-in-training home at the end. They continued to collaborate on courses, ultimately teaching thousands of students from all around the U.S. who brought the practice of bonsai home with them.

Okamura gave lectures around the U.S. and represented BBG at many bonsai conventions. In 1981, he received the Order of the Sacred Treasure from Emperor Hirohito of Japan for his contribution to bonsai in America.

The Bonsai Museum

In 1988, the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum opened in the newly built Steinhardt Conservatory, where the collection resides today.

Custom-built tables showcase 30 to 40 bonsai at a time, depending on the season. A tokonoma, or a small alcove featured in many Japanese homes, holds the remains of Fudo, a prized Sargent juniper from Japan thought to be over 800 years old.

After purchase from Kyuzo Murata’s famous bonsai nursery in Omiya, Japan in 1969, this tree underwent strict U.S. agricultural quarantine and sadly did not survive. But the spirit of Fudo lives on.

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Get Tickets Become a Member

Full Admission Information ›

Seasonal Hours

Through July 31

• Open late! Tuesday & Thursday: 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
  Members’ Summer Evenings: Wednesdays, May 28–September 3
• Friday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Closed Mondays

August

• Open late! Tuesday & Thursday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Wednesday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
  Members’ Summer Evenings: Wednesdays, through September 3
• Friday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Closed Mondays

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.
• Tickets are nonrefundable, but may be exchanged in advance of visit for another date.

Ticket Prices

Tickets purchased online subject to service fee of $2.22/adult ticket or $1.52/senior or student ticket.

Get Tickets Become a Member

Members receive free general admission every day.

Museum & Garden Ticket

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 and Garden tickets purchased online subject to service fee of $2.61/adult ticket or $2.28/senior or student ticket.

Book Museum & Garden Tickets

Restrictions

• 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.

Learn and play together in the Discovery Garden! Hands-on stations in the courtyard encourage families to explore nature alongside our teen garden apprentices and volunteer Discovery Docents. Be sure to explore our meadow, woodland, and marsh habitats, too!

This is a drop-in program for families with children of all ages. Free with Garden admission.

All programs are outdoors and will be canceled in inclement weather. Check this page for updates.

Related Event

• Don't Miss

  Spring Family Story Time

  Sundays, April 27; May 4, 11, 18, 2025 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. | Drop-in

  Read garden-inspired stories alongside BBG volunteers. Drop in anytime during program hours to join in. Learn More › about Spring Family Story Time

Support

Major Supporter, Discovery Programs

Signature Plants are a benefit of membership at the Contributor level and above. Plants are hand-selected by BBG’s Horticulture staff for their beauty and ability to thrive in a wide range of hardiness zones and light, soil, and moisture conditions, so you’re sure to find something perfect for your garden or home.

2025 Signature Plant Pickup Events

To show our appreciation of your generous support of the Garden, you are invited to select your 2025 Signature Plant at one of two exclusive pickup events. See Plant Choices ›

Take a stroll and enjoy the grounds during peak blooming season before you stop by the Signature Plant pickup table located at the nursery in the south end of the Garden.

Sunday, May 4, 2025 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Savor a spring day in the Garden with coffee and morning treats.

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 6–8:30 p.m.
Enjoy wine and light snacks during a spring evening.

Reserve Tickets

2025 Signature Plants

Photos depict mature plants. You will receive a juvenile plant to grow and care for.

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  Houseplant

  Schlumbergera truncata (Christmas/Holiday Cactus)

  Indirect sun/partial shade, moist soil, grow in pot

  6–10 inches tall

  USDA Zones 10–12

  Family Cactaceae

  Description Schlumbergera is a small genus of cacti found in humid and somewhat shady areas of southeastern Brazil. They are known for their leaf-like pads, or stem segments, that connect from one to the other and trail.

  Culture Keep away from direct sunlight; extended periods of lower light in the early fall will help to encourage winter blooms. Water every 1–2 weeks, allowing the potting soil to dry out at least halfway down between waterings. They can benefit from higher humidity when in bloom. Buds may drop due to sudden changes in temperature or light or from lack of water.

  Pests, Pets, and Diseases Potential pest problems include mealybugs, scale, spider mites, and aphids. Overwatering may cause root rot. It is nontoxic to pets.

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  Houseplant

  Scutellaria javanica (Javan Skullcap)

  Full sun/partial shade, average soil, grow in pot

  18–24 inches tall

  USDA Zones 8–11

  Family Lamiaceae

  Description Scutellaria javanica is a perennial herb or subshrub with bright green leaves and two-toned blue and indigo flowers. The skullcap moniker derives from its seeds, which are shaped like a skull’s base. Scutellaria javanica grows in wet tropical biomes; it is native to Southeast Asia and New Guinea.

  Culture Scutellaria javanica does not tolerate low light and is sensitive to wet soil. Place it less than 1 foot from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth. To replenish nutrients, repot your plant after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. The leaves emit a subtle aromatic fragrance, especially when crushed.

  Pests, Pets, and Diseases Javan skullcap can be susceptible to certain pests like aphids and spider mites. Overwatering may cause root rot. Leaf spot diseases may also occasionally affect it, particularly in overly humid conditions. It is nontoxic to pets.

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  Houseplant

  Nephrolepis cordifolia ‘Duffii’ (Lemon Button Fern)

  Partial sun/shade, moist soil, grow in pot

  Approximately 12 inches tall

  USDA Zones 9–11

  Family Nephrolepidaceae

  Description This compact, clump-forming, evergreen fern has masses of dark green, dense, sword-shaped, tripinnate fronds that are ruffled around the edges. The fronds have a mild lemony fragrance during the growing season. Lemon button fern is ideal for terrariums and bottle gardens.

  Culture Bright but indirect light is the gold standard, but it can tolerate a range of conditions. Aim for 60% humidity (50% at minimum). Lemon button ferns are notoriously slow-growing, and it may take a while before growth is noticeable.

  Pests, Pets, and Diseases ‘Duffii’ is generally disease-free and pest-free. However, it can be susceptible to pests like aphids and spider mites if the air becomes too dry or if necessary conditions are not met. It is nontoxic to dogs and cats.

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  Herbaceous perennial

  Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders)

  Full sun/partial sun, moist soil

  1–3 ft tall

  USDA Zones 4–9

  Family Apiaceae

  Description Golden Alexanders is a short-lived perennial with branching, erect, reddish stems; it belongs to the carrot family. It is a carefree plant that occurs naturally in small colonies on wet soils but is also tolerant of dry summer conditions. Native to the United States and Canada, Golden Alexanders grows from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to Florida and Texas, and west to Montana.

  Culture In late summer, Golden Alexanders forms oblong-shaped green fruit capsules that gradually turn purple as autumn approaches, as do the stems and leaves. Plants tend to bolt.

  Pests, Pets, and Diseases Few pest and disease problems. Mild GI discomfort in cats and dogs is possible if ingested.

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  Herbaceous perennial

  Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft)

  Full sun, well-drained soil

  6–12 inches tall

  USDA Zones 3–9

  Family Brassicaceae

  Description Candytuft is a low-growing, spreading, evergreen groundcover that may be classified as herbaceous perennial or sub-shrub. It has a woody interior and is evergreen in warmer climates and semi-evergreen in colder climates. Small, white, four-petaled flowers emerge in dense clusters in spring. The leaves are narrow, dark green, and leathery. Candytuft is a native of southern Europe from the Iberian Peninsula of Spain and Portugal to Turkey, and northwest Africa.

  Culture Candytuft prefers full sun locations; part shade is tolerated but it will flower less. Good drainage is essential. This plant is drought-tolerant once established but intolerant of wet and poorly draining soils.

  Pests, Pets, and Diseases Candytuft’s biggest problem is usually root rot, which occurs when there is too much moisture in the soil. Fungal diseases can arise when it’s too humid or there is not enough air circulation. Candytuft is mildly poisonous to dogs, causing nausea and vomiting, but nontoxic to cats.

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  Shrub

  Philadelphus ‘Natchez’ (Mock Orange)

  Full sun/partial shade, well-drained soil

  8–10 feet tall

  USDA Zones 5–8

  Family Hydrangeaceae

  Description Philadelphus ‘Natchez’ is blanketed in stunning clusters of fragrant white flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the branches in late spring. This hybrid plant originated from two other hybrids.

  Culture This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions and should not be allowed to dry out. It is not particular about soil type or pH and is highly tolerant of urban pollution.

  Pests, Pets, and Diseases ‘Natchez’ is not known to cause harm to pets. It may be susceptible to aphids, honey fungus (rarely), and powdery mildews.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m a member. Why can’t I get a plant?

Signature Plants is a benefit for Garden Circle (Contributor, Supporter, and Patron) and President’s Circle members.

Can I upgrade/join today and get a plant?

Unfortunately, we have a limited number of plants and the number of plants we have prepared has already been decided based on how many Garden Circle and President’s Circle members we have prior to the announcement of this event. But if you upgrade or join now you will be invited to pick up your Signature Plant next year!

How many plants can I pick up?

Contributor level members may pick up one plant, and members at the Supporter level and above may pick up two. Plants are offered per membership, not per person.

Can I pick up my plant(s) on a different day/time?

Unfortunately, no; plant pickup is available only on designated dates and times.

Can my plant(s) be shipped?

No; plants can only be picked up in person and we don’t currently have plans to bring back the option to ship plants. Friends are allowed to come and pick up plants in your stead.

My plant(s) died—can I get a replacement?

No; a limited quantity of plants are cultivated for this event and are only available on a first-come, first-served basis.