Botanic Garden

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!

Morning glory, featured 8/5/26: If you plan your visit to the BioPark early in the day to beat the heat, another reward you might find are morning bloomers at the Botanic Garden! Perhaps the most well known are named for this very habit: morning glories! The species typically used in gardening is Ipomoea tricolor, a native of the tropics of the Americas, especially Mexico and Central America. Flowers are trumpet shaped and can be around 5 inches wide, flanked by heart-shaped leaves on vines that can be 8 to 10 feet tall. From around July to the first frost, new flowers are produced each morning that close by the afternoon, except on cloudier days where they may stay open all day! Butterflies and hummingbirds will enjoy them for breakfast where they twine over fences, trellises, arbors, or even sprawl out as ground cover.

Morning glories enjoy the full sun (with some protection from strong wind) and in their native range they are perennials, but they can’t tolerate temperatures in the forties or below so here in Albuquerque they can be grown as an annual. They also don’t tolerate standing water so make sure the soil is evenly moist but well-draining, and avoid wetting the foliage itself. Once established, they can handle some dryness and are adaptable to urban environments. Due to some toxicity it’s recommended to use gloves when handling, washing your hands afterwards, and choose a location that is not easily accessible to young children, cats, dogs, or horses. Morning glories are one of the few naturally occurring blue flowers, but many cultivars are available so you can also find purples, pinks, reds, whites, or combinations of more than one color to fit your garden and style! Pictured: Ipomoea tricolor ‘Flying Saucer’ in the Heritage Farm container garden

Wax mallow, featured 7/29/26: The twirled petals of these bright red flowers will never fully open, but that doesn’t stop them from being a favorite for pollinators. One species of Texas butterfly even shares a common name due to the plant’s role as its larval host! And if this native of the Americas reminds you of a bud of the iconic tropical hibiscus, you’re not alone: sleeping hibiscus is another common name for Malvaviscus arboreus, and they are indeed related as members of the Malvaceae family. As a native to the southern United States that’s easy to propagate and grow, wax mallow is part of a tradition known as “pass-along” plants. This custom predates the nursery industry and is a great way to connect to friends, family, and neighbors!

In its native range wax mallow is a perennial understory shrub in coastal areas from Texas and Louisiana down to South America. Although it can grow around 10 feet high, it’s adapted to dappled sunlight under a canopy so it’s best to choose a site that is bright, but will provide some shade, in fertile soil. They will need more moisture than full desert species as long as the soil or container has good drainage, but once established can be somewhat drought tolerant and adaptable. Each vibrant flower lasts about two days, but they continue to bloom until late summer or early fall until they transition into red berries that taste similar to apples that feed birds and mammals – humans, too! Providing many benefits to many species, wax mallow can make a great addition to your own home garden and leave a legacy for the next generation of gardeners when shared!

Space Lotus 36, featured 7/22/26: There’s something spectacular launching in the Winter Fountain right now…an ancient species with a new-age twist! The sacred lotus Nelumbo nucifera, native to Asia, existed alongside dinosaurs around 135 million years ago and has been used for food and medicine in China for at least 3000 years. In 1994, scientists took seeds to space to study the effect of zero gravity on growth. Not only were they successful in growing plants in space, the experiment produced multiple mutant cultivars numbered 1, 2, 3, and 36 that showed improved size and seed yield. Descendants of ‘Space Lotus 36’ are still grown today, including right here at the Botanic Garden, and it's in full bloom just in time for the anniversary of the lunar landing this week!

Aquatic lotus are in the genus Nelumbo, not to be confused with those in the genus Lotus or water lilies which belong to the family Nymphaeaceae. One way to tell the difference is that Nelumbo lotus flowers and leaves rise above the water on stalks, whereas water lilies float on the surface. Lotuses are a large perennial species that can bring many benefits to a warm water feature between 1 to 8 feet deep. They need loamy soil and full sun for about 6 hours for flowering, and the water level should be consistent. Healthy lotuses act as a natural water filter, and provide food and shelter to fish, frogs, waterfowl, and pollinators!

Dipladenia Sun Parasol ‘FiredUp Orange’, featured 7/8/26: Sitting brightly in many container arrangements around the Botanic Garden right now, especially the High Desert Rose Garden, is the aptly named cultivar of dipladenia from the Sun Parasol series ‘FiredUp Orange’. Though closely related and often conflated, dipladenia is more compact and bushy than the vining Mandevilla species. Both are tropical or subtropical natives of Central and South America, in the dogbane family Apocynaceae. Dipladenia typically have smaller and more star-shaped flowers with darker leaves that are glossy and pointed. Whichever your preference, you can find a variety of vibrant colors to compliment your garden and the care is very similar.

Being native to warmer habitats, here it will do best in containers where it can be brought inside when nighttime temperatures go below 65 degrees. With a little shade from the most intense afternoon heat, but bright light otherwise for at least 6 hours a day, fiery blooms will emerge all summer long. Moisture should be consistent during the growing season, but the top few inches of soil can be allowed to dry in between, making it a moderately water-wise choice for Albuquerque. In addition to the continuous color all season long, the recurring flowers also provide a reliable food source for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators!