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.

The Pollinator’s Guide to Orchids

“What are orchids? Where do they grow? For this story we found an expert on the ins and outs of orchids – an orchid pollinator themselves! They will tell you all the orchid basics: what pollinates orchids, what exactly an orchid is, where they grow, and just a little bit of what Smithsonian Gardens is doing to help!”

Acorns on Oak Tree

An Ode to Oaks

How old are oaks, and where do they grow? Take a leafy walk through the history and diversity of oaks around the world and at Smithsonian Gardens with this StoryMap!

Mary Livingston Ripley Garden

Fall Foliage Walking Tour of Smithsonian Gardens

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.

Tree Collection and sprinklers

Tour the 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.

Shrubs in front of Air and Space Museum

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

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

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

Be A Plant Explorer

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

SG Greenhouse Nursery Operations
The striking orange of the Osteospermum stands out against the contrasting purple Cleome seen in the background. These are some of the many colorful annuals grown for summer displays.

Behind the Scenes Tour of the Smithsonian Greenhouse

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

Enid A. Haupt Garden in spring

Magnolia Madness

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 onlin

Flowering cherry at the National Air and Space Museum.
Flowering cherry tree at the National Air and Space Museum.

Cherry Blossoms of Smithsonian Gardens

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

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

Tour of the Poinsettias at the Greenhouse

Take a tour of the poinsettias grown in the Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse.