Botanic Garden

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Opened in 1996, the Botanic Garden has grown to 32 acres of exhibits, and showcases plants from the American Southwest and around the world.

The Botanic Garden’s BUGarium is one of the most elaborate exhibits dedicated to bugs and arthropods in the country.

The Travel Channel cites ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden as one of the top 12 in the country!

Seasonal Update:

Learn more about featured seasonal plants!

Chihuahuan scurfpea, featured 9/30/26: This week’s feature is a little different! You won’t likely be growing this one in your home garden and they’re not currently flowering, though they do have small purple flowers once or twice a year. Instead, we’re celebrating the seeding season of a very special native plant. Pediomelum pentaphyllum is a critically imperiled perennial legume, only found in the wild in two locations – one in New Mexico and one in Arizona. There are around 20 species in the genus Pediomelum altogether, all of which are native to North America. In the summer of 2024, the ABQ BioPark’s expert horticulturists were part of a group who had the opportunity to salvage Chihuahuan scurfpea plants from an area in development and bring them into care at the Botanic Garden as part of our plant conservation program. Before that recovery there were only around 300 plants known to still exist in the wild.

That’s why the seeding season is so exciting! As one of the only populations of Chihuahuan scurfpeas in human care, everything that the BioPark and their conservation partners at the IUCN have learned while caring for the plants here is writing the manual for their preservation as well as increasing scientists’ understanding of what they need in the wild so we can better protect their habitat. We can’t wait to share the full story with you and continue highlighting this and other important work that happens behind-the-scenes at the Botanic Garden, a Participating Institution with the Center for Plant Conservation.

Rose of Sharon, featured 9/16/26: With over 400 species in the genus Hibiscus, there is a wide variety of colors and flower shapes, including the double-flowering cultivar of the rose of Sharon named ‘Lucy’ that’s currently putting on a show behind the Cider Barn at the Heritage Farm! This deciduous shrub resembles a small tree, capable of reaching around 13 feet tall. Despite the scientific species name implying they come from Syria, Hibiscus syriacus is also known as Korean rose and was originally only endemic to Korea and is the national flower of South Korea. It was brought to Japan in the 8th century and introduced in many other places since then, including North America. This species can thrive in urban conditions and poorer soils and though individual flowers are short lived, they produce new blooms continuously to provide a pop of color and food for pollinators into fall when other flowers have waned.

Not only is this plant tolerant of heat and humidity, full sun produces stronger stems and heavier blooming. Provide consistent, but not pooling, moisture during its first year, but afterwards they are low maintenance and drought resistant. Healthy plants can be self-seeding, so monitor for spreading and prune in spring to encourage new growth and bigger flowers. Cultivars and hybrids can be found in hues of yellows, golds, pinks, purples, blue, or white, as well as in combination and may be single flowers with 5 petals or double-flowering. Whether you plant it as a natural screen or a backdrop along the border of the rest of your garden, your favorite shade of rose of Sharon will be a feast for the eyes and for wildlife preparing for the winter to come!

Lanceleaf sumac, featured 9/2/26: Along the curve of the Curandera Garden loop you’ll find a hardy southwestern native that may appear unassuming, but undergoes a fantastic change to become a standout in the fall scenery! Rhus lanceolata’s species name and the common name above both reference the thin, pointy lance-shaped leaves in Latin and English, respectively, but soon you’ll see why it’s well known by another common name: prairie flameleaf sumac. In the summer, pinnacled clusters of tiny cream-colored flowers are framed by rich green foliage. Those flowers produce tiny red fruits that can persist into winter, providing late-season food for migrating birds and other wildlife. But when the temperatures cool, it's the leaves' turn to transform into a bold red, commanding your attention and especially striking in their natural landscape where they form thickets in prairies throughout the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

These small trees grow fairly quickly and regular water in their first growing season will help them establish deep roots and relative independence. Set them up in a well-drained spot in full sun with room to spread out a little, and soon you’ll have a water-wise natural hedge or border with many benefits! Between flowering into late summer and the prolonged availability of fruit clusters into winter, they are a multi-seasonal magnet for bees, fig beetles, birds, and more, as well as providing cover for wildlife and erosion control. Whether you catch the lanceleaf sumac in its summer palette or not, be sure to visit and look for it in the fall!

Cut-and-come-again zinnia, featured 8/26/26: The summer section of Camino de Colores is bursting with color, and the high-speed wingbeats of hummingbirds flocking to feast on late summer flowers! The continuous blooms of cut-and-come-again zinnias are the gift that keeps on giving, all the way through first frost, making them a favorite of the migrating hummingbirds as well as many other pollinators. Many cultivars and hybrids of Zinnia elegans also boast heat and drought tolerance, sturdy stems, and a comparatively long life as a cut flower…which means they are a favorite of gardeners, too!
 
As western North American natives, Zinnias will thrive in drier conditions more easily than staying overly wet which may expose them to fungal disease. When watering, avoid wetting the foliage when possible and focus on the soil and base instead. Where many flowers would whither, zinnias shine: they can take the heat of our summer sun and as the saying goes “the more you cut, the more the bloom!” Zinnias are available in a spectrum including almost every hue and combination, in shapes from single disks to domed pom-poms that resemble dahlias. One thing to note: some cultivars don’t contain pollen and nectar anymore, so if your goal is to attract pollinators to your garden be sure to check before purchasing seeds. Whether your goal is a bright, cheerful landscape or a steady supply of fresh cut flowers for bouquets or your vase, cut-and-come-again zinnias can be a fantastic addition to your garden!