The Gardens have been fortunate over the years to have countless student employees. Occasionally we hear back from them, and recently Carson Brown called me out of the blue to tell me how much he appreciated and loved the Gardens. The following story is from that call. Little did Carson Brown know that working at...

The UCR Botanic Gardens has a BIG botanical event happening this week—a once in a decade flowering of a huge and rare tropical plant, the corpse plant, Amorphophallus titanum. It produces the worlds biggest inflorescence (flowering stalk) and is renowned. Visit the UCR Botanic Gardens Greenhouse to witness firsthand this rare phenomenon. July 22nd update...

As a public university botanic garden our mission is to provide a curated, living plant collection for research, education, and enjoyment. Over the past few years Janine and our staff and volunteers have made renewed efforts to update the collection database, augment the collection with new plantings, enhance the educational value of our collection and...

During a mild-weather spring, our staff and volunteers have been busy with Gardens projects and activities, which are summarized below. Gardens and Grounds: Tree pruning was contracted to remove two broken branches and three dead trees, improving safety in highly visited areas of the Gardens. A comprehensive safety audit was conducted in the Gardens by...

Moreno Valley garden tour, talk, and refreshments hosted by the UCR Botanic Gardens. Garden tour and talk provided by Master Gardener George Spiliotis and Master Gardener Karen Fleisher. Moreno Valley address provided upon registration. Two tour options: 10am-12pm & 1-3pm. Register for tickets by 4/15/2022. Limited adult attendance. Please note this garden includes uneven surfaces...

The UCR campus is a bird hotspot for both permanent residents and seasonal migrating species (see ebird.org). The UCR Botanic Gardens will host an early morning Bird Walk in the Gardens on April 2, 2022, timed for ideal sightings and led by birding experts from the UCR faculty and staff. The Bird Walk will be...

For over four decades the UCR Botanic Gardens has hosted the largest plant sale events in the Inland Empire. These events were recently redesigned to focus on plants propagated from our own unique collection. Currently, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Gardens are open with restrictions on gatherings, including our popular plant sales. However, our...

This interactive Story Map is an offshoot of a long-time field laboratory exercise in Foundations of Plant Biology, BPSC 104, offered by the UCR Botany & Plant Sciences Department. In this class students learn about plant ecology using the UCR Botanic Gardens as their outdoor laboratory. Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms...

The Interactive GIS Application (app) for the UCR Botanic Gardens has been officially released to the public! We have utilized Esri Enterprise ArcGIS Online, so the “power of where” can be integrated into the project. To make this app user friendly, we want to provide a few tips on how to navigate your way through...

One of the primary missions of the UCR Botanic Gardens is to act as an educational resource for the community. The Gardens seek volunteers who want to learn more about the Gardens, its history, and plant communities, and share that information with school children and others. We will be offering Docent Training Classes that will...

A trained scientist and lifelong fan of learning and plants, Janine has turned her passion into a full-time career at UC. As the curator and education coordinator at the UC Riverside Botanic Gardens, she uses her experience-based knowledge and specialty skills to beautify the Gardens and inspire its many visitors. Read full article: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2022/02/staff-snapshot-janine-almanzor,-phytophile-and-runner.html

Thank you for joining us for another successful Rose Pruning Demonstration! Thank you especially to all the UC Master Gardeners who utilized their knowledge and skills to teach and prune. Thank you, as well, to the Raincross Rose Society, nurseries, and friends who donated all the wonderful raffle prizes: Cherry Valley Nursery Corona Clippers Kellogg...

On November 30, 2021, the global day of giving, you’re invited to join the entire UCR community to raise money in support of our students, research, and programs. For 24 hours, you can help show the world how UCR unites to help our Highlanders! With dozens of campus areas participating this year, it’s easy to...

While we had hoped to welcome you to an in-person Fall Plant Sale, we are grateful for campus support that makes it possible to continue to hold online Plant Sales when we are unable to have them in the Gardens. Members only will be able to purchase plants on Saturday, October 9th and the sale...

Two bobcat kittens and their mother have been exploring the grounds at UC Riverside’s Botanic Gardens this week. A brief video shared on the gardens’ social media this week shows one kitten treading carefully on the grounds. “Walk softly and you might see our newest additions,” the caption reads. The 40-acre botanical gardens, first established...

A Conversation With Jodie Holt, Director UCR Botanic Gardens On April 7, 2021, KVCR Inland Edition's Lillian Vasquez spoke with Jodie Holt, Director of the UCR Botanic Gardens. Jodie shared the history of the expansive and diverse gardens and how they have shifted operations during the pandemic, but continue to grow. LISTEN: https://www.kvcrnews.org/post/4721-jodie-holt-discusses-ucr-botanic-gardens#stream/0

People venturing into the wild hills of the Botanic Gardens or on the south edge of campus might receive friendly warnings to watch out for mountain lions. A persistent rumor holds that the big cats roam the more rugged parts of campus and nearby mountains. Nestled against the Box Springs Mountains, with the 40-acre Botanic...

UCR staff and faculty are invited to attend the online presentation titled, "The UCR Botanic Gardens: Nature Oasis in Challenging Times," presented by Jodie S. Holt, Director, UCR Botanic Gardens. This virtual event is organized by the UCR Emeriti and Retirees' Associations and staff, faculty, friends and family are welcome to attend using Zoom. Friday...

The Botanic Gardens will offer Gardens-propagated horticultural and native plants, cacti and succulents, patio and house plants, water efficient plants, colorful landscape trees, and numerous pollinator-attracting species at our Spring Online Plant Sale, April 10-11, 2021 (midnight-midnight), with in-person plant pick up at the Gardens entrance on April 21st and 22nd. Friends members will enjoy...

Join us on January 25, 2021 from 6-7 pm for an overview of the UCR Botanic Gardens from our founding to the present, including our gardens and landscapes, programs and activities, current status, and vision for the future. REGISTER: https://myadv.ucr.edu/forms/botanicgardenspresentation