Plants & Gardens

The Latest News

  • Memphis Zoo Brings Camel Rides to the Mid-South Wednesday, February 15, 2012

    MEMPHIS, TENN. – Camels return to the Memphis Zoo this spring for an all-new animal encounter. For just $5 per person, visitors will have the opportunity to ride one of four camels at the Zoo Ma...

  • No Free Tuesdays in March Tuesday, January 31, 2012

    Just a reminder that the Memphis Zoo will not be holding "Tennessee Tuesdays" during the month of March. For details on the Tennessee Tuesday admission policies, please visit our admission policies...

  • International Polar Bear Day Celebration Tuesday, January 31, 2012

    Saturday, February 25, 2012 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Included with Zoo Admission Haley and Payton want to get the word out that their wild relatives a...

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Plants & Gardens

The Memphis Zoo is home to not only thousands of animals, but thousands of plants as well! Our exhibits feature naturalistic settings, and our walkways are lined with lush landscaping. Our plant collections include exotic as well as native species, to provide an educational, attractive experience for zoo visitors, as well as our animal inhabitants.

Horticulture Walking Tours

(Adults; Zoo Members Only)

Have you ever wanted to know more about the beautiful plants at the Memphis Zoo? This is your opportunity to learn why certain plants are planted in certain places, or which ones would grow well at your house! Occurring on select Saturdays throughout the year, these walking tours are led by the Zoo’s expert Horticulturist, Jill Maybry.

Plant Blog

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Spring Blooms!

Spring is here, the weather is beautiful, and there are flowers in bloom all over the zoo! The Chinese fringe trees in the CHINA exhibit are stopping visitors in their tracks with their unusual feathery white blooms. Azaleas are beginning to bloom along many of our zoo pathways, especially along the path beside CHINA. Cross vine, a North American native, is blooming on the rockwork in Primate Canyon, and on the wheelhouse at Once Upon a Farm (look for it by the waterwheel and waterfall at the... Read More
Posted by jmaybry@memphiszoo.org at 3:00 PM

Thursday, October 14, 2010

It feels like fall!

The nights are getting cooler and there's a crispness to the air during the day. It's time for fall! The plants around the zoo are beginning to show signs of autumn, so this is a great time to visit. The sweetly fragrant tea olive, Osmanthus fragrans , is in full bloom next to the bonobos (directly across from the entrance to CHINA), perfuming the air around it. The blooms are tiny, but their sweet scent makes a big impact. Beautyberry bushes, ... Read More
Posted by jmaybry@memphiszoo.org at 1:18 PM
Plant Blog

Friday, February 26, 2010

Camellias and Winter Honeysuckle in Bloom Now

Our camellias are blooming! You'll find the beautiful red blooms of several camellia bushes right outside the Cat House Cafe and patio. (And while you're admiring the flowers, be sure to admire our newly stained outdoor patio floor! It looks great.) Camellias are easy-care evergreen shrubs that are beloved in the South for their cheery winter blooms. Different cultivars and species bloom at different times, from fall up until early spring. ... Read More
Posted by jmaybry@memphiszoo.org at 1:36 PM

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Zoo Gets Certified as "Monarch Waystation"

The Memphis Zoo has been certified as an official Monarch Waystation by Monarch Watch. "Monarch Waystations" are habitats that provide monarch butterflies with the resources they need to survive: milkweed plants to allow the rearing of successive generations, and nectar plants to feed the adult butterflies. The Memphis Zoo is proud to contribute to monarch conservation by planting and maintaining the plants these butterflies rely on for... Read More
Posted by jmaybry@memphiszoo.org at 1:58 PM

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Time for Spring Planning

Oh dear... no Plant Blog updates since October? Let's fix that! Fall is always a busy time of year for our horticulture department, and fall of 2009 was no exception. We lifted all of our tropical plants out of their summer beds and moved them into the safety and warmth of the greenhouses. Then we replanted the same beds and containers with a mix of winter-loving annuals: pansies, violas, ornamental cabbages, and mustard. SunTrust Zoo Lights came and went (with great success!), which kept us... Read More
Posted by jmaybry@memphiszoo.org at 9:12 AM

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Monarch Migration

 In case you missed it, Teton Trek is now open! After a week of being open to zoo members only, our newest exhibit opened yesterday to the general public. The weather is wonderful, so come on out and see it! And while you're here, keep your eyes out for something special all over the zoo: the monarch butterflies' fall migration is in full swing.    Each spring, monarchs from Mexico migrate north and... Read More
Posted by jmaybry@memphiszoo.org at 4:27 PM

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