Help Us Complete Our Botanic Gardens Display House!

The UCR Botanic Gardens has a hidden tropical and shade-loving plant collection in our greenhouse that we are eager to open to the public. This unique collection is currently accessible only to small groups due to the lack of suitable walking and gathering spaces, uneven and unsuitable dirt pathways, and insufficient environmental controls.

We have created a concept design for a new Display House in the first greenhouse section entered from the outside and have arranged a model display that guides visitors through the evolutionary progression of the plant world. Achieving our goal of $25,000 will allow us to complete renovation of this section by adding raised planting beds surrounding a center changeable display, flagstone pathways, a water feature, new irrigation and cooling systems, and interpretive signage to enhance the visitor experience.

Take a virtual tour here: UCRBG Plant Diversity Display House to see a preview of this impactful display, starting with the most ancient land plants and ending with the most evolutionarily advanced, including orchids and carnivorous plants.

Now in its 62nd year, the UCR Botanic Gardens is a beloved destination for UCR and the wider community. We welcome thousands of visitors each year who come to experience, engage with, and learn about plants and nature, host hundreds of school groups on guided tours that meet state educational requirements, and offer numerous educational and outreach events for the public and our members. We enjoy abundant campus support but are largely self-funded and are unable to launch new projects without additional support.

Your gift will advance the educational mission of the UCR Botanic Gardens by opening a new collection with meaningful interpretive signage to a wider audience. Our new Display House is sure to be a popular destination, and we welcome your support!