Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is the broad name for the area at the heart of Cornell Plantations. Visitors with only a short time to see Plantations will want to focus on this 35-acre site, which features 12 specialty gardens. These include herbs, flowers, vegetables, rock garden plants, rhododendrons, perennials, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, vines, container gardens and plants with winter interest. 

Browse each collection from the list on the left sidebar. Click on the audio icon to listen to a short audio clip about each collection.

When you visit, make your first stop the Nevin Welcome Center, our award-winning "green" building.

Read more about what our Welcome Center has to offer.

New Gardens on the Horizon

Cornell Plantations is now moving forward in the next phase of an ambitious plan to reimagine the Botanical Garden. The broad expanse of lawn in front of the Nevin Center will be transformed into a beautiful series of new Peony and Perennial Gardens, while the plateau on Comstock Knoll will become a dramatic East Asian Garden. Learn more here.

Botanical Garden and Arboretum Use Policy

In support of our mission, our botanical collections are often used for education and research. If you would like to collect plants, conduct other research or are interested in installing art, please submit a Special Use Request Form found here.