Leach Botanical Garden re-opens with major improvements

(APRIL 19, 2021) Portland Parks & Recreation has worked together with other community organizations to make many improvements to Leach Botanical Garden. The project is the culmination of more than six years of planning and design. Partner organizations raised almost $11 million to make the improvements. The new features include:

• An aerial tree walk offers a view of the forest that visitors have never experienced.

• A pollinator and habitat meadow has 144 different species of shrubs and grasses, and about 30,000 new plants.

• There are new paths, parking, and entrance to make visits easier.

The Leach Botanical Garden is spread over 16 acres in Southeast Portland. It is home to more than 1,000 species of plants. Pharmacist John Leach and botanist Lilla Leach donated their prized garden to the city of Portland in their will. Since then, the house and gardens have been preserved for all Portlanders and visitors. Now Leach is moving forward to its next chapter, one which presents spectacular opportunities to connect with nature, for education, culture, gatherings, and recreation.

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope,” says Mae Lin Plummer. She is the Executive Director of Leach Botanical Garden. “Leach Botanical Garden welcomes and invites all to share in the reimagining of our garden and a new chapter of exciting growth, but also the fulfillment of hope in the comforting emergence of spring when plants and nature remind us of the resiliency and endurance of life."

A community celebration will be held at a future date, pending public health guidance. For now, the entire garden has reopened under a timed ticketing system with reservations available online. Please visit LeachGarden.org to learn more about admission and parking at the Garden.