COVID-19 Update: Wellesley College campus is closed to the public until further notice, including the Botanic Gardens.
Our gardens (including outdoor gardens) are currently closed to the general public. The Global Flora conservatory will be closed to the public until Science Center construction is complete, to be announced in 2022. There are currently no greenhouses to visit at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. We hope you stay safe and well!
For Wellesley College students, staff, and faculty only:
New Students: Thanks for participating in our free plant giveaway!! For plant care info, go to https://tinyurl.com/Wplants
Update: we can't help with repotting student plants until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience.
All Botanistas and Green Gatherings meetings are open to all Wellesley students interested in plants :) See Calendar below.
The Global Flora greenhouse is still closed due to construction - however, Wellesley College students, staff, and faculty can book a visit (if you are requesting a guided tour, please specify this - we will let you in for a self-guided walk through otherwise):
Please use this form to book your visit in Fall 2021: https://tinyurl.com/gf-fall2021
(Wellesley College only - sign in required)
Please enjoy the outdoor Botanic Gardens! Note: Some of our outdoor water features (waterfall, brook) may not have water right now. We are working on a solution. Thanks for your patience as we improve our sustainable water management!
Paramecium Pond
Night cactus - photo by Yuxi Xia '20
Reinstalling the cannonball tree
H. H. Hunnewell Arboretum
The Wellesley College Botanic Gardens (WCBG) are campus treasures.
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens is a place to learn, relax, and appreciate plants and the outdoors.
The Botanic Gardens exists to share love and appreciation of plants and the natural world, provide educational hubs indoors and out, and support well-being and community for all. Learn more about the 22+ acres of gardens and greenhouses, and ways to get involved - click the links in the menu (top left).
Outdoor Gardens
The Alexandra Botanic Garden has specimen trees and shrubs from around the world in a picturesque landscape. The Silver Thread brook winds through the garden from a waterfall to Paramecium Pond.
The H. H. Hunnewell Arboretum has several different habitats, including a maple swamp, meadow, and fragments of different forest types, with primarily native species. Specialized gardens include a bog garden, a dwarf conifer garden, a butterfly garden, and our Edible Ecosystem Teaching Garden!
Conservatory and Teaching/Research Greenhouses
The Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses brings Margaret Ferguson's vision of “laboratories under glass” into the 21st century, and is currently under construction.
The Global Flora conservatory will highlight beauty and diversity in plant forms, and global connections with plants across cultures. Global Flora will also serve as a new node for interdisciplinary learning and an innovative example of sustainable design, with live-streaming climate sensors, rain-fed irrigation, and reduced heat consumption.
The Teaching and Research Greenhouses are connected to the Science Center and recently launched Frost Center for the Environment. These facilities will support student and faculty research, teaching, and other programs.
We look forward to welcoming visitors once construction is complete! Thank you for your patience and support.
Science Hill on campus
The Botanic Gardens is embedded within the broader Science Hill area of Wellesley College campus, including the new Science Center building and surrounding landscapes, from pond and meadows to wetlands and forests. A master planning effort is underway to provide a holistic design for this area, making water systems and ecosystem processes legible, educational, welcoming, and sustainable.
Follow WCBG! Instagram @wellesleybotanicgardens 
and Facebook 
Discover Massachusetts' garden gems!
Read the Wellesley magazine article about celebrating WCBG's botanical treasures through art.
Land Acknowledgement
Here at Wellesley, we acknowledge that Wellesley College occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary unceded lands of the Massachusett tribe. We recognize that we are on stolen land, and we extend our gratitude to the many Indigenous peoples who have rich histories here, including the Massachusett, Wampanoag and Nipmuc nations, for their ongoing stewardship of the land. We commit to recognizing, supporting, and advocating for the sovereignty of the Indigenous Nations whose traditional territories are in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as for the many Indigenous peoples who live, work and study in Wellesley and Massachusetts. By offering this Land Acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and commit to holding Wellesley College more accountable to the needs of Indigenous peoples.
Wellesley College Botanic Gardens supports this acknowledgement, developed by the Native American Students Association at Wellesley, and is committed to working toward justice, inclusion, and equity. Please stay tuned for our educational offerings and programs about the history of the gardens and current issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity in horticulture, botanic gardens, and the outdoors.
Want to share ideas or feedback? We welcome your thoughts here!