Annual Trial Displays
UT Gardens was initiated in 1983 to serve as an evaluation site for annual bedding plant trials. Designated an All-America Selections (AAS) Test Garden, and an AAS Display Garden, new…
Arboretum Collection
The backbone of the Gardens is our woody tree and shrub collection. Many of the largest trees were present before the Gardens came into existence and were originally part of…
Beall Family Rose Garden
Completed in 2009 through the generosity of an endowment from rose lovers Sam and Mary Anne Beall and dedicated to their family, this garden is the crown jewel of the…
Children’s Garden
Nature play and environmental education are two of the goals of our Children’s Garden, where kids can discover the enjoyment of the outdoors in formal and informal settings. With a…
Conifer collection
In 2008 The American Conifer Society has recognized UT Gardens, Knoxville as an official ACS Reference Garden. From towering bald cypress to ground cover junipers, conifers are on display throughout…
Cornelia B. Holland Tranquility Hosta Garden
The foundation of our Hosta Garden collection is from renowned hosta aficionado Cornelia Holland of Franklin Tennessee. Over 500 varieties of hosta are included and were divided, dug, and transplanted…
Hillside Perennial Garden
Along the steep bank beyond the rock garden is the Hillside Perennial Garden that represents the New Perennial Plant Movement concept of landscape design. Perennials are planted in vary close…
Kitchen Garden
Created in 2010, the UT Gardens Kitchen Garden is a .25 acre edible plant collection within the UT Gardens. The garden consists of 55 raised beds’ as well as a…
Labyrinth and Iris collection
In 2012 with the leadership of one of the Garden’s Master Gardener volunteers, a large Chartres replica labyrinth was installed in what was formerly a turf grass demonstration area. The…
Maria’s Woodland Garden
Maria’s Woodland Garden is named in honor of Maria Compere a local environmental stewardship and beautification activist, who spearheaded the effort to plant tens of thousands of daffodils along Pellissippi…
Monarch Waystation
The Monarch Waystation serves as a ‘pit-stop’ for migrating Monarch butterflies and is planted with several species of milkweed for larval development and other pollinator friendly plants for food and…
Rock Garden
The Rock Garden is sited on the slope above the Kitchen Garden and is a display of xeriphilic and alpine plants that are able to still survive in the heat…
Sculpture Collection
Nature’s beauty is complemented by beauty created by human hands within the UT Gardens. The upright carved slabs, or ‘stele’ of Tennessee marble were originally part of the ‘Tennessee One…
Tributes & Memorials
Throughout the Gardens you will see many trees and shrubs given in honor or in memory of a UT Gardens supporter by family and friends. The UT Gardens, Knoxville are…
Wetlands Garden
The Wetlands Garden is a series of constructed wetlands built in 2016 under the leadership of Dr. Andrea Ludwig. The wetlands serve to catch runoff and slow water movement into…