UBC Botanical Garden

Congratulations to Ben Stormes, Curator of the North American Garden, on winning the Professional Citation Award from the American Public Garden's Association! Watch video here: youtube.com/watch?v=WQEk39…

The BMO Vancouver Marathon is taking place on Sunday, May 5th. There will be road closures all morning and early afternoon. Around UBC, road closures will be in effect between 8:00am and 12:30pm. More info: planning.ubc.ca/event/bmo-mara…

It's Giving Day! Donate to the Botanical Garden Community Outreach Fund on Giving Day to support activities like Biodiversity Days and the Family Nature Walk. Click here for more info: ow.ly/XqHT50R8Ccp

Found in the woodlands of eastern North America, Sanguinaria candensis is an early bloomer that signals the arrival of spring. The flowers emerge before the leaves, and stand naked against the leaf litter. By mid-summer they set seed and often retreat to emerge again next year.

Last chance to sign up for our online Horticulture Training Program Information Session happening tonight! Reminder, the deadline to apply for the program is coming up soon. ow.ly/FNr950R2mRI

Dirca palustris, pictured here, was collected by garden staff member Ben Stormes in Wellington County, Ontario, where he found it growing in an open hardwood forest alongside maples, hickories, and oaks. You can see this young plant in our Carolinian Forest Garden.

The newly emerging leaves of Viburnum lantanoides provide a mesmerizing sight. Like all members of the genus Viburnum, the leaves and branches of this plant are arranged opposite one another. In this photo you can see the leaves and stems forming in near perfect symmetry.

Discover the beauty and inspiration of magnolias through a poetic and performative lens in the Asian Garden with Dr. Celeste Snowber. Enjoy a blend of art and ecology in this creative Garden performance. Click here for tickets: ow.ly/JjsO50QN9uf

On March 20th 2024, meet author Christina Chung at 11:30am at the Shop in the Garden. She will be signing copies of her latest book The Layered Edible Garden: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Productive Food Garden Layer by Layer.

Today we celebrate Dee Ann Benard - our first female Garden Director. A strategic leader with an entrepreneurial edge, she has particular strength in building networks and connecting participatory groups, skills which benefit the Garden and the communities it serves.

The Canadian fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis), is among the first shrubs to bloom in our Carolinian Forest Garden. This species forms a modest sized shrub usually growing in the understory of deciduous or open mixed forest throughout much of eastern North America.

#WildPlantWednesday Take a walk through a coastal BC forest and you’ll often come across bigleaf maples (Acer macrophyllum). One of the biggest identifiers is just how much moss grows on this tree compared to how little often grows on neighbouring species.

#WildPlantWednesday Remember those red poinsettias that decorated everywhere from dining tables to holiday displays in the mall food court? What could they possibly have in common with the giant Douglas firs that fill much of the forests of BC? Bracts, that’s what!

All smiles on a typical (and beautiful!) day of the Horticulture Training Program. Our students have been going up to UBC Farm every February for many years to prune their blueberry shrubs. Horticulture Training Program information: ow.ly/oAuF50Qsmmk

#WildPlantWednesday Winter can seem a drab time of year for trees. Deciduous trees stand naked in the wind and evergreens hold their ground with little decoration. This plant is naturally occurring on site at the garden, as are a number of red alders both large and small.

#WildPlantWednesday Have you seen any trees still holding on to curled, crispy brown leaves even though autumn has long since past? This phenomenon is known as Marcescence.

Pictured here are the newly emerging spring leaves of Vaccinium parvifolium, or red huckleberry. Come March we just love the way the bud scales protecting the dormant shoots throughout the winter expand and become vibrant pink, and the electric green shoot growth emerges.

January’s #WildPlantWednesday posts will help answer the question “where do our wild plants come from”, and this week we highlight donations to the Garden of wild-origin seed and plants. Pictured here is Hosackia gracilis, commonly known as seaside birds-foot trefoil.

Celebrate Family Day at Kids Take Over UBC on February 18! Ticket sales are now open: ow.ly/Ycb550QtGIo

Do you dream of a fulfilling career in horticulture or working with plants? Are you a landscaper seeking to add skills and develop credentials? Register here for our Horticulture Training Program Information Session: ow.ly/oAuF50Qsmmk