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Texas Botanical Gardens and Arboretums

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Texas is home to a wide variety of beautiful botanical gardens and arboretums of interest to residents and visitors alike.

Choose between formal gardens, small parks, large urban arboretums located all across Texas.

Inlcuded on this page are highlights of some of the more poular gardens and arboretums in Texas.

Whether you are touring in South East Texas, around Beaumont, or in Dallas, Austin, or elsewhere in the State, there are many gardens to explore.

East Texas Arboretum

Quiet garden scene at the East Texas Arboretum in Athens

Located west of Tyler at the intersection of Texas Highway 31 and Texas Highway 19 is the City of Athens in Henderson County.

The East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society provides over 100 acres of natural East Texas nature and beauty.

Areas include the Discovery Barn, Dream Garden, Little Red School House, plus numerous gardens and trails.

The historic Wofford House Museum, built in 1850, was relocated to the Arboretum several years ago. It now stands as a reminder of early pioneer days complete with period furnishings, memorabilia, and a seasonal garden.  

The Arboretum is located at 1601 Patterson Road, Athens, TX 75751 (Hwy 175 inside Loop 7). For more information, phone 903.675.5630.


East Texas Arboretum
Traveler reviews and photos at TripAdvisor

Mast Arboretum

Mast Arboretum at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches

Held each year is the popular Nacogdoches Azalea Trail in the spring. Over 25-miles of driving trails are carefully marked and mapped, and walking trails cover the stunning Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden on the campus of SFA, the largest azalea gardens in the state of Texas. Details about the Nacogdoches Azalea Trails

The Mast Arboretum is a ten acre garden along LaNana creek at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches.

Download the Mast Arboretum Visitors Guide (PDF)

Phone 936.468.1832 for tour information, seminars and more information.


Purchase your tickets online in advance of your visit, or upon arrival at the Visitor Education Pavilion
Purchase your tickets online in advance of your visit, or upon arrival at the Visitor Education Pavilion

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Nestled along the eastern shore of White Rock Lake is the 66-acre, nationally acclaimed Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, featuring 11 display gardens with year-round beauty and inspiration.

Over 1,000,000 visitors a year enjoy the gardens and events at the Arboretum.

The Arboretum opened its doors in 1984, combining the 44-acre DeGolyer Estate and the 22-acre Alex Camp House to create a horticultural masterpiece in North Texas.

Today, 19 named gardens and numerous areas combine to create a premier Dallas landmark and visitor attraction. 

And the Arboretum continues to expand, with new features such as the Children's Adventure Garden and "A Tasteful Place".

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218
Customer Service - Phone 214.515.6615

Website of the Dallas Arboretum:
General Information About the Dallas Arboretum
Buy Tickets for the Dallas Arboretum
Dallas Arboretum Calendar of Events
Plan Your Visit to the Dallas Arboretum

The Arboretum on Facebook

Thousands of flowers in bloom in the spring at the Dallas Arboretum (Staff Photo)
Thousands of flowers in bloom in the spring at the Dallas Arboretum

Road Travel America ... destinations, vacations, maps, parks, road trips, things to do ... and more!

Master plan for the Longview Arboretum
Master plan for the Longview Arboretum

Longview Arboretum

The Longview Arboretum & Nature Center  provides an ecologically sustainable city park that reflects the character of Longview and fosters interaction between the landscape and its visitors.

The gardens were opened in November of 2019, and include the Longview Arboretum Visitor Center at 706 West Cotton Street.

The Arboretum shares parking with Maude Cobb Activity and Event Center, it covers 26 acres of watershed from Grace Creek and borders the JR Curtis Garden for the Blind and The Green.

Dirt work began in August of 2017, and a formal ground breaking for the Longview Arboretum was celebrated in September of 2017.

Phone 903.212.2181 for more information or visit the website of the Longview Arboretum.

 

The Gardens at Texas A&M University in College Station

The Gardens at Texas A&M

The Gardens span 27 acres of beautiful public gardens and green space on the Texas A&M University West Campus.

The first seven acres, the Leach Teaching Gardens, opened in 2018 and feature 21 demonstration gardens and a climate-controlled pavilion. Currently, the garden design team is finalizing its plans for the second phase of development.

Students and visitors can relax and learn simultaneously in a peaceful sanctuary on campus.

It is located on the campus of Texas A&M at 556 John Kimbrough Boulevard.

For details and information about opening dates/times, visit the Website of the Gardens or phone 979.458.4910. Learn more about the Gardens on Facebook

Andy Anderson Arboretum

Another local College Station garden is the Andy Anderson Brazos County Arboretum located at 1900 Anderson Street. It is situated on 17 wooded acres bounded by the cemetery, Bee Creek and Business 6, and features a shelter and an interpretive trail system that emphasizes native Texas plants.

Originally known as the Brazos County Arboretum, it was renamed in 1986 in honor of D.A. "Andy" Anderson, a former Mayor of College Station.

Also nearby is the Butterflies in the Brazos Butterfly Garden. The 26.5-acre Bee Creek Park is also located here.

Seasonal Interest Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin
Seasonal Interest Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin (Staff Photo)

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

One of our favorite nature centers is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, located in the southwest section of Austin, Texas. We have visited there numerous times, and on each trip we see new things and learn more about nature!

The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the official state botanic garden and arboretum of Texas. The Center promotes its mission to inspire the conservation of native plants through its internationally recognized sustainable gardens, education and outreach programs, research projects, and consulting work.

The Wildflower Center was originally established as the National Wildflower Research Center in 1982, and later renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It covers an area of 284 acres.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, Texas 78739
Phone 512.232.0100

Official website of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Wildflower Center on Facebook

"The nature we are concerned with ultimately is human nature" ... Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
"The nature we are concerned with ultimately is human nature" ... Lady Bird Johnson

Tyler Rose Garden

Grounds of the Municipal Rose Garden, Tyler, Texas

Tyler is the Rose Capital of America, the location of the Tyler Rose Garden, the nation's largest municipal rose garden, spanning 14 acres. The city is also the site of the Annual Texas Rose Festival held each October.

The gardens include over 38,000 rose bushes and over 600 different varieties, as well as reflecting pools, walkways and fountains. It was listed in 2011 in Livability.com's top 10 most inspiring gardens in the USA.

The IDEA Garden is located in the Southeast corner of that garden with the goal to inspire the visitor to “Innovate, Demonstrate, Educate & Apply” good gardening practices.

Beaumont Botanical Gardens

Beaumont Botanical Gardens

This 23.5-acre garden of ever-changing beauty is located near the entrance to Tyrrell Park, a 500-acre City of Beaumont Park. 

A paved Friendship Walk offers excellent views of the various theme gardens, as well as providing easy access for strollers and wheelchairs. 

Benches along the way invite visitors to rest a moment and “take time to smell the flowers.”  The Beaumont Council of Garden Clubs raises funds for development and maintenance of the gardens, and oversees their management. 

Beaumont Botanical Gardens Website

 

Tyler Azalea and Spring Flower Trails

Beautiful spring garden scene during the Tyler Azalea Trails in spring

A highlight of the spring season in East Texas is the 8-mile long Tyler Azalea Trail guiding visitors through neighborhoods of brick streets, residential gardens and historic homes.

The first Azaleas were planted in Tyler in 1929 by Maurice Shamburger, in the Lindsey Lane area. Other neighbors soon followed, and the area became well known for its springtime beauty.

Today, over 100,000 people from all over the USA visit Tyler each spring to attend the Azalea Trail. Two marked routes exist today: the Lindsey Trail and the Dobbs Trail.


Helen Lee's Daffodil Garden

Field of Daffodils in Texas

During February and March each year, East Texas area is treated to millions of blooming daffodils and other flowers at Helen Lee's Daffodil Garden.

We highly recommend a trip to see the gardens and walk among the blooming flowers, dogwood trees and redbud trees. Admission is free, but a donation is recommended, and appreciated, to help fund maintenance of the grounds through the year.

The garden is located between Tyler and Gladewater, just south of U.S. Highway 271, about 21 miles from downtown Tyler and about 7 miles north of Interstate Highway I-20.

The two country roads (CR 3104 and CR 3103) leading to the gardens from U.S. 271 are narrow, but paved.

The garden opens, depending on the weather, in mid-February and remains open through March or until the daffodils are no longer in bloom. The garden is open during this time seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

For road conditions in the gardens and predicted blooming schedule, contact the Mrs. Lee's Daffodil Gardens at 903.845.5780 or visit their website. The road through the gardens is dirt/gravel, and one-way, but an easy drive.

One large parking lot is available in an area with massive areas of daffodils and ideal for walks and photography.

The Lee Daffodil Gardens photo gallery on this website.

 


Blue Moon Gardens

Blue Moon Gardens and nursery in Edom, Texas

Edom, Texas is just a short drive west of Tyler towards Ben Wheeler and Canton at the intersection of FM 279 and FM 314.

Blue Moon Gardens is a well known nursery just east of Edom.

The quality of all of their plants and herbs is excellent, and their selection of butterfly and hummingbird-friendly plants is huge.

The grounds themselves at Blue Moon are very well done and make a great place for walks, and the inside gift shop and garden center are not to be missed!

Phone 903.852.3897 for hours and other information.

Shangri La Botanical Gardens

Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange, South East Texas

The formal 252-acregardens contain more than 300 plant species. Adjacent to the Botanical Gardens is a bird blind which allows visitors to observe nesting birds in Shangri La’s heronry.

The Nature Center includes a hands-on exhibit called the Nature Discovery Center, a laboratory, and three outdoor classrooms located deep in the cypress swamp. 

Website of Shangri La Botanical Gardens



Davey Dogwood Park

Davey Dogwood Park is home to more than 200 acres of picturesque roads meander throughout the park.

The park is featured during the annual Texas Dogwood Trails Festival from late March to early April. Admission is free.

Davey Dogwood Park, Palestine, Texas

Wood County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Quitman, Texas
Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Quitman, Texas

The Wood County Arboretum & Botanical Gardens covers 23 acres and includes a walking trail, gazebo, sensory garden, shade garden, a waterwise garden, numerous rose and flower beds.

It is located at 100 Governor Hogg Parkway in Quitman, Texas. Phone 430.235.5461 for more information.

Meems Garden

Meems Garden is located in Van, Texas, and is an East Texas flower farm growing fresh-cut blooms for local florists, the Rose City Farmers’ Market in Tyler, and special events. 

They welcome visitors to the farm and garden. But please make arrangements with them ahead of time.

Phone 254.718.5957 for more information.

Glenda Maes Daylily Farm

Glenda Maes Daylily Farm is a daylily nursery growing over 400 named cultivars in its display gardens.

The farm is located at 4741 FM 2339, in Murchison, Texas, 75778, 4 miles west of Edom.

Phone 903.235.2529 for more information, and hours of operation.

Other Arboretums and Nature Centers

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin
Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin (Staff Photo)

Texas Discovery Gardens - at Fair Park in Dallas

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Texas Tulips - Pilot Point, Texas, northeast of Denton. Seasonal openings.

Chandor Gardens - Weatherford, Texas

Houston Botanic Garden - Houston, Texas

Clark Gardens - 50 acres, 567 Maddux Road, Weatherford, Texas 76088

Zilker Botanical Garden - Austin, Texas

Mercer Botanic Gardens - Humble, Texas

San Antonio Botanical Garden - San Antonio, Texas

South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center - Corpus Christi, Texas

Amarillo Botanical Gardens - Amarillo, Texas

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens - 4 miles southeast of Fort Davis

The Elegance and Color of Roses

This YouTube video lasts only a couple minutes, and has some easy-listening music. So turn up your volume, and enjoy some beautiful roses!

A Garden for Pollinators and People

Pollinators like butterflies, birds, hummingbirds, bees, moths, bats, ants, beetles, and small mammals pollinate plants and are responsible for helping plants reproduce. Pollinating creatures travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies via a process that allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants.

This video showcases common pollinators found around the home, and some of the many flowers they help reproduce.

It runs about 6 minutes, so sit back and enjoy ... and turn up your volume for some easy-listening music!

Like all YouTube videos, you can click to run it full screen, and mute the music if you like.