FACTS

The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is dedicated to inspiring the conservation of native plants. As the Botanic Garden of Texas, the Center displays native plants from across the state in its gardens and arboretum and serves as a model for creating beautiful, sustainable landscapes.

The Center has guided the development of urban and rural landscapes across the U.S. that incorporate native prairies, green roofs, rainwater harvesting and other sustainable features. It operates Native Plants of North America, the most comprehensive online native plant resource, and has set aside millions of seeds from Texas native plants for future generations and restoration activities. In addition to educating children and adults about native plants and training citizen scientists to identify and report invasive species, the Center led the development of SITES®, a sustainable landscape rating system now used worldwide.

Our Mission

Inspiring the conservation of native plants

Basics

Founded: 1982
Founders: Lady Bird Johnson and Helen Hayes
State Botanic Garden and Arboretum: Designated in 2017
Location: Austin, Texas
Ecoregions: Edwards Plateau and Texas Blackland Prairies
Coordinates: 30.1854° N, 97.8705° W

Gardens & Arboretum

284-acre site featuring over 1,000 species of Texas native plants
9 acres of cultivated gardens
16-acre Texas Arboretum displaying more than 70 species of native Texas trees
Animal diversity includes more than 1,800 insect species, 148 bird species and 15 mammal species
76 acres of plots dedicated to long-term research on prescribed fire and land management

Sustainability

65,000-gallon rainwater storage system
Efficient low-flow landscape irrigation system
Use of local materials, harvested on site and nearby
Solar arrays for power generation

Community

16,500 members and growing
More than 240,000 guests annually
Volunteers contribute 22,500 hours of service annually

Education & Outreach

15,000 adults and children taught annually
More than 25,210 native plants featured on Native Plants of North America
10,000 garden questions answered
More than 41,000 native Texas plants sold annually

Impact

90,887 acres of landscapes impacted through Center projects
Founding developer of SITES®, the most comprehensive rating system for sustainable land design and development in the world
Developed SkySystem™ planting medium for green roofs and Habiturf® native turfgrass mix
18,375 square feet of green roofs installed in urban areas
6 million seeds collected for the Millennium Seed Bank
200,000 milkweed seeds collected for milkweed propagation
9,000 seeds from nectar plants for monarchs and other pollinators collected for the Texas Seed Bank
Seeds from 8 species vulnerable to extinction stockpiled

Awards

Landscape Architecture Foundation Founders’ Award (2019) – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Legislative Designation (2017) – State Botanic Garden and Arboretum of Texas
Best of Campus Initiative, The University of Texas at Austin Sustainability Symposium (2016) – Goldsmith Hall Living Wall
Improving Water Quality (2nd Place, Individual Item), National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies (2016) – Blanco River Design Guidelines
Small Scale Residential Award, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (2016) – Edgeland House
Program Excellence Award, American Public Gardens Association (2016) – Landscape For Life
Horticulture Magazine Award for Garden Excellence, American Public Gardens Association (2015) – Luci and Ian Family Garden
Texas Rain Catcher Award, Texas Water Development Board (2015) – Luci and Ian Family Garden rain capture system