Plants
Zoo Plant Life
The Zoo is a great place to see animals – but it’s also a botanical garden with a diverse array of plants from all over the world. From native Northwest to spiky succulents, humming pollinator gardens and exotic flowers, our plant life is stunning – plus it recreates habitats for our animals, and even provides them with leafy enrichment.
From Northwest to Carnivorous
Botanical Garden Tours
Take a public botanical garden tour and get expert tips from our horticulturalist Bryon Jones. On the first Sunday of every month of the year, Bryon leads tours around the Zoo. Free with admission. Tours are back!
Want to spend even more time with our plants? Book a private Zoo For You Botanical Tour! During this hour-long tour, you’ll spend time getting to know the Zoo’s more rooted residents with a member of our horticulture team.
Dinosaur trees saved from wildfires. Poached cactus. Vanishing fairy-tale forests. Meet our rare and endangered plants, and hear their stories.
In the News
Our Zoo’s botanical garden – and our lead horticulturalist Bryon Jones – have been recognized by media and garden organizations around the region. Here are some of the stories.
“Zoo or Garden?” – Sue Goetz, Pacific Horticulture Society
“Cacti: Not Just for Deserts Anymore” – Craig Sailor, The Olympian/News Tribune
“A Garden Tour Perfect for Pint-Sized Green Thumbs” – Allison Sutcliffe, Red Tricycle
“Danger Garden” – Loree Bohl, blogger and Instagrammer