Events for February 21 - November 1, 2025

  • Argentine Ants: Super colonies in the Garden

    The Botanical Garden holds more than just plants – it is home to many other life forms, and in particular, the diverse array of insects that call the Garden their home. Join Julie Miller for a talk to learn about one such insect, the Argentine Ant, that arrived in California a little over 100 years […]

  • November Drop-in Garden Tour

    Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe! Join a docent for a free guided tour of the garden on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm. We’ll hear the stories of a selection of plants in the garden, and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. See […]

  • Nicholas Staddon: The New American Garden

    Join Nicholas Staddon for an Englishman’s view of the New American Garden. “Gardens all over the United States are undergoing a measure of change” bubbles Nicholas. “No more so then here in Southern California.” He will provide us with a unique overview of new plant exploration not only here in the United States but overseas […]

  • December Drop-in Garden Tour

    Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe! Join a docent for a free guided tour of the garden on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm. We’ll hear the stories of a selection of plants in the garden, and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. See […]

  • Botany of the Holidays

    The holidays are a time for rest, relaxation, family and friends. To a botanist, they are also a case study of the deeply interconnected relationship between nature and culture. Join us as we share the botanical origins of some of the most ubiquitous holiday traditions, and see just how important plants are to the spirit […]

  • January Drop-in Garden Tour

    Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe! Join a docent for a free guided tour of the garden on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm. We’ll hear the stories of a selection of plants in the garden, and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. See […]

  • Everything Orchids

    Join us for a fun, informative presentation by Barb Schmidt that delves into the origins of our love for orchids, how orchids grow in their native environments, and how to care for orchids in our homes. It provides fun facts and orchid care tips to pique the interest of experienced orchid collectors, as well as […]

  • Street Plants: Wild Flora of Los Angeles

    Cities may seem to be solely the work of humans—right down to the urban landscape of street trees, ornamental plantings, and manicured lawns that were put in place by human hands. But wild plants spread through the landscape without any human help, forming a ubiquitous botanical backdrop that exists at the fringes of most concepts […]

  • Hammer Kids Pop-up Studio: Every Plant Has a Story

    Celebrate the plants that are all around us with artist Sarita Dougherty. Observe and draw the native and non-native plants of Los Angeles, then stretch your imagination to create a plant from your memories or your dreams—many artists in the Armand Hammer Collection did both! This lively, drop-in workshop is designed for families to explore […]

  • February Drop-in Garden Tour

    Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe! Join a docent for a free guided tour of the garden on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm. We’ll hear the stories of a selection of plants in the garden, and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. See […]

  • Darwin’s Birthday Party: Plant Evolution + Biodiversity Garden Tour

    Come celebrate plant evolution & party like it’s 1809! Join us for a Garden tour celebrating plant evolution, Charles Darwin, and his famous voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. We will travel the world of plants to discover global connections and ideas about evolution. Our path will follow Darwin’s voyage and we’ll hear entries from his […]

  • March Drop-in Garden Tour

    Explore our living museum featuring collections of plants from around the globe! Join a docent for a free guided tour of the garden on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm. We’ll hear the stories of a selection of plants in the garden, and their relevance to human society. All ages are welcome. See […]

  • Matriarch of the Rainforest: The Adventures & Work of Mildred E. Mathias

    Mildred held many titles over the years: the world authority on carrots, one of the first female faculty members at UCLA, mother of four, inspired teacher, and author. Mildred’s life (1906-1995) was an adventurous one, where her curiosity and persistence moved her to shake the societal norms for women and to break into the academic […]