Dr. David Hosack, a leading physician and professor, founded the Elgin Botanic Garden in 1801 with a grand vision. He purchased 20 acres of rural land from the City of New York, what is now midtown Manhattan, to create the first public botanical garden in the United States. By 1805, its greenhouses contained over 1,500 species of medicinal and exotic plants, some contributed by his friend Thomas Jefferson. The garden was a scientific treasure intended to train a new generation of American doctor

Look what’s brewing at the United States Botanic Garden! A corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) permanently planted in our Tropics house has a bloom growing. It measured 80 inches tall today, and we believe it is possible the bloom will open around August 4-6, 2025. This plant is over 8 years old and this is its third bloom. Previous blooms were in 2017 and 2021.The USBG has over 30 mature corpse flower plants, and we are part of a collaborative conservation project with other botanic gardens