Alaska Botanical Garden

The mission of the Alaska Botanical Garden is to enhance the beauty and value of plant material through education, preservation, recreation, and research. With over 1,100 species of perennials and 150 native species, the Garden showcases hardy perennial and gardening in a northern climate with. The Garden also offers our horticultural staff and volunteers a space to conduct research. ABG currently have research trials being conducted on various potting soils, compost, various rock garden plants, cilantro, garlic and more. ABG is also a partner in the new North American Orchid Conservation Center, created by the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Botanic Garden to research, document, and cultivate Alaska's native orchid species. 

ABG also offer a variety of educational programming for youth and adults. These include our annual Spring Garden Conference, summer and winter educational workshops, plant and mushroom walks, children's gardening day camp, K-6 field trips, and in school and after school youth programming. We also partner with Nine Star Enterprises in providing workforce development opportunities to teach young adults skills in horticulture and landscaping.

The Garden also offers a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors and beauty of Alaska. Regardless of season, ABG is a wonderful place to visit and recreate. We offer many fun opportunities to get out including winter snowshoe tours, walks and tours of the Garden, and fun festival including our annual Boreal Garden & Arts Fest and Harvest Day.

Volunteering is also a large part of our programming at ABG. Planning for ABG started with volunteers in 1983, and volunteers have been an integral part of ABG ever since. Volunteers take part in many aspects of ABG, including maintaining garden beds, teaching educational programs, leading tours of the Garden and helping with special events. It is a fun way to meet others in the community and learn about gardening, education and more.

The Alaska Botanical Garden is a public garden dedicated enhancing the beauty and value of plant material through education, preservation, recreation, and research. With over 1,100 species of hardy perennials, and 150 native plant species, the Alaska Botanical Garden is the place to experience the abundance of the summer sub-arctic growing season and to learn about flora native to southcentral Alaska. From May through September (and occasionally into October) you will find flowering plants and shrubs in two perennial gardens (Lile’s Garden and the Lower Perennial Garden), a formal Herb Garden, an alpine Rock garden, and a Wildflower Trail.  A new Anchorage Heritage Garden is nearly complete – just in time for the Anchorage Centennial in 2015.  The Lowenfels Family Nature Trail and Forest Health Trail offer easy opportunities for day hikes, with the potential to glimpse wildlife.