Welcome to the verdant beds of Smithsonian Gardens, splashed with color and buzzing with activity. Morning walks along shady garden paths are calling.  We would like to offer you virtual tours through our gardens and greenhouses.

Cherry Blossoms of Smithsonian Gardens

Kanzan cherry flowers posed on a ruler

Take a springtime walk through the Washington, DC cherry blossoms, and learn about several different types of ornamental cherry trees in our collection.

Magnolia Madness

Saucer magnolias in the Enid A. Haupt Garden
Saucer magnolia in the Enid A. Haupt Garden

Explore Smithsonian Gardens’ collection of magnolias spread over 40 acres across the Smithsonian campus by following along with this virtual tour as you walk through our gardens or enjoy them at home online.

Tour of the Flight Garden at the National Air & Space Museum

Shrubs in front of Air and Space Museum

Take a walk through the “Flight Garden” (part of the Smithsonian Gardens’ Habitat exhibit) designed to attract birds and butterflies.

Tour the Tree Collection

Tree Collection

We are thrilled to welcome you back, and would like to offer you a tour through the tree collection of our gardens. From shade tree to shade tree, we’ll stop at interesting points along the way.

Behind the Scenes Tour of the Smithsonian Greenhouse

SG Greenhouse Nursery Operations

Smithsonian Gardens’ Production Team cultivates a plethora of annual and perennial plant varieties as well as rare and unusual plant types in over 14,000 square feet of greenhouse space. Plants get their start from seeds, plugs, and rooted cuttings or are propagated in-house from existing stock plants. The team collaborates with Smithsonian Gardens’ horticulturists and Interiors Team to develop planting designs for the Smithsonian’s many gardens and landscapes

Be A Plant Explorer

Collage introduces Plant Explorer. Clockwise from top left: Picea abies 'Acrocona' cone, Magnolia grandiflora flower, Diospyros virginiana fruit, Ginkgo leaf

See how to use Plant Explorer, a catalog of all our trees and orchids, to discover and learn more about our Living Plant Collection.

Tour of the Poinsettias at the Greenhouse

Poinsettias grown in the Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse
Poinsettias grown in the Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse.

Fall Foliage Walking Tour of Smithsonian Gardens

Mary Livingston Ripley Garden in the fall

Our gardens are full of deciduous trees which turn vibrant colors in the fall. We’ve put together a walking tour of some of the highlights of our autumnal tree collection, so you can enjoy fall peeping from home, or in our gardens.