Leslie Uppinghouse

Horticulturist

Leslie joined the Wildflower Center in 2016. She is lead gardener for the east side of the Central Gardens and also serves as our staff lepidopterist.

Leslie has a volunteer history with the Center that dates back to the late ’90s; she has volunteered in the nursery, gardens and insectary. She’s also enjoyed working on plant and invasive species surveys throughout the state and country. And she was a contributing writer for Ask Mr. Smarty Plants, our online plant advice column, for several years.

Prior to working at the Center, Leslie was executive producer of events and production manager for South by Southwest. While immersed in the festival industry, she kept her hands in the dirt working as a private maintenance gardener for over 30 years.

Leslie hails from the Pacific Northwest originally and sneaks back to Oregon when she can to snowboard and help pack the wool on her family’s sheep farm in Bend, Oregon. Continuing her grandfather and father’s legacy of working in the fine arts, she is also a sculptor, painter and photographer.