Conservation Project Updates
The recent rediscovery of the long-assumed extinct Quercus tardifolia in Big Bend National Park by a team of botanists and horticulturists serves to highlight the importance of plant conservation at botanical gardens and arboreta. As a part of Houston Botanic Garden’s mission to enrich life through discovery, education, and the conservation of plants and the natural environment, the Horticulture department has a nascent conservation program.
Anna White
Anne White Plant Records volunteer assists Garden in documenting its present with an eye to the future. Volunteers donate thousands of hours to the Garden each year.
Volunteer Profile
Volunteer SUPPORT & VOLUNTEER Volunteers are vital members of our team who share their time and talents to help us achieve our goals. Get your hands dirty outside with our horticulture team, scan tickets and greet visitors at the gate to help our visitor services staff, or assist with administrative tasks in our office — the possibilities are numerous. Complete our online form to learn more about volunteer opportunities and be…
Suzanne Simpson
Meet The Author Suzanne Simpson New book encourages you to take walk on Houston’s wild side Suzanne Simpson is a Houston-based ecologist working to protect the natural landscapes that define Texas. She maintains certification as a professional ecologist from the Ecological Society of America and is a trained Texas Master Naturalist.
Meet The Author
Meet The Author
Wildlife at the Garden
Nature’s Medicine Cabinet BENEFICIAL QUALITIES OF PLANTS Healing Yarrow Achillea milefolium, commonly known as Yarrow, has been used for millennia as a powerful medicinal plant around the world. Yarrow was found in the teeth of Neanderthal skulls in Spain dated to 60,000 years ago. Legend tells that Achilles, the great warrior in the battle of Troy, used yarrow to clean his wounds and stop the bleeding. There are around 130…
Nature’s Medicine Cabinet
Nature’s Medicine Cabinet BENEFICIAL QUALITIES OF PLANTS Healing Yarrow Achillea milefolium, commonly known as Yarrow, has been used for millennia as a powerful medicinal plant around the world. Yarrow was found in the teeth of Neanderthal skulls in Spain dated to 60,000 years ago. Legend tells that Achilles, the great warrior in the battle of Troy, used yarrow to clean his wounds and stop the bleeding. There are around 130…
Native Texas Foods
Native Texas Foods FAVORITES THROUGHOUT HISTORY Pecan Care Many of us have seen majestic and productive pecan trees in neighborhoods near us. Seeing these lovely trees thriving can be quite the motivator to try growing pecans at home. While the idea of growing pecans can be quite attractive, unfortunately, the effort to grow them can make the reality less pleasant. Pecans are messy; they attract pests, most notably squirrels and bag…
Native Grasslands
Native Grasslands ENDANGERED COASTAL PRAIRIE Planting to Support Wildlife The Houston Botanic Garden is an urban oasis for birds. The Garden’s diversity of native plants, wide open space, and plentiful food and shelter offer ideal habitat for migrating birds. Houston Audubon has counted almost 140 species of birds on site, a number that has grown by almost 40 percent since work began in the spring of 2019 to take the…
Fungi
Friendly Fungi SOIL BIOLOGY Forest Floor Biodiversity Plant root systems are active and complex. There is more than meets the eye in these seemingly simple – typically out-of-view below ground – forms. The root exists in the rhizosphere, a wonderfully alive zone filled with bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Plant roots secrete a solution known as exudate to manage, nourish, and protect this zone. Chemical messages from the exudate communicate to nearby…