Mobile Botanical Gardens

The 100-acre (0.40 km²) Mobile Botanical Gardens were founded in 1974, and are located on Museum Drive in the Spring Hill community in Mobile, Alabama, USA. The Gardens are a blend of cultivated areas and natural habitats, including:

• Rhododendron Garden
• Camellia Wintergarden
• Fern Glade
• Fragrance and Texture Garden
• Japanese Maple Garden
• Herb garden
• Longleaf Pine habitat of 40 acres

Collections of hollies, magnolias, roses, and perennials are also of special interest, with birding and nature trail walks a public favorite.

The Rhododendron Garden contains eight collections of approximately 1,000 evergreen and native azaleas. The plantings were newly installed in 2006 within an older azalea garden. The collections include Encore, Harris, Holly Springs, Mobile, National Arboretum Kurumes, Nuccio, Robin Hill, and Southern Indica. This is the most comprehensive rhododendron collection anywhere along the Gulf Coast.

Another area of special note is the Longleaf Pine Habitat, a preserved remnant of the great southern longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem that once dominated the American South. It is an extremely diversified habitat with 49 vascular plant families, 159 vascular plant species, 72 woody species, and 21 naturalized species catalogued in May and June of 2007.

Installed in 2007, the Camellia Wintergarden is a collection of 500 camellias, 350 newly planted, with 75 planted over thirty years ago. The collection contains:

• Historical camellias. Those that originated or were introduced to the United States prior to 1920.
• Mobile area originations. The greatest concentration of outstanding camellias introductions in the world originated along the central Gulf Coast. Rare re-discovered camellias will be included.
• Camellia species. Nowhere else in the world can such a broad spectrum of camellias be grown as in our area. These will include rare, newly discovered Asian species, and hybrids thereof.
• Camellia classics. The very best of the best for garden purposes, regardless of age or origin.

Mobile Botanical Gardens is a 501(c)3 non-profit, and funding is mainly through contributions, grants, plant sales, and membership dues. It is open year-round from dawn to dusk, and admission is free.

from wikipedia.org