Greenhouses in Georgia

The University of Georgia's Plant Biology Greenhouses

• The University of Georgia's Department of Plant Biology oversees seven greenhouses. Since they serve mainly university students and faculty, the greenhouses are open to the general public by group reservation only. Through online virtual tours, arid, carnivorous, nonflowering and tropical plants may be viewed.

Atlanta Botanical Garden's Greenhouse

• In the heart of downtown Atlanta is the heart of the native plant conservation program at the Atlanta Botanical Garden--the Conservation Support Greenhouse. Endangered native plants are nurtured to maturity and transplanted in the garden's plant recovery projects around the Southeastern United States. The garden has been involved in this conservation and restoration work since 1989.

Callaway Gardens' Horticultural Center

• In Pine Mountain, Ga., near the middle of the state, is the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center--one of many attractions offered by Callaway Gardens. Opened in 1984, this garden/greenhouse combination covers five acres and includes native and exotic plants. Areas include the tropical and sub-mediterranean conservatories, a sculpture garden, a fern grotto, the main conservatory and an outdoor garden. A 22-foot indoor waterfall is one of many special features.

  Indoor displays change a minimum of eight times a year with outdoor displays replaced at least five times each year. Seamlessly interwoven, the indoor and outdoor gardens are separated by 26 folding glass doors. With Georgia's mostly mild climate, the doors are open more often than not.

  In 2003, landscape designer W. Gary Smith guided the Sibley Center's renovation. The Rock Wall Garden area was turned into a Mediterranean Garden. Since plants native to Mediterranean climates can withstand extensive, hot summers with prolonged periods of drought, survival strategies learned from them could be helpful to Georgia plants.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia's Tropical Conservatory

• In Athens, Ga., near the campus of The University of Georgia, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a public educational facility operated by The University of Georgia. The garden serves as a "living laboratory" for university students and faculty who use the collections and natural plant communities for studies. The garden is also open to the public.

  Founded in 1968, the garden covers more than 300 acres, bordering the Middle Oconee River. Major emphasis of the garden center is on environmental education, plant conservation, habitat protection and biodiversity. Both the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance and the Garden Club of Georgia are headquartered at the State Botanical Garden.

  Promoting the importance of maintaining the world's rain forests, the Tropical Conservatory is one of the many garden features. The conservatory has a permanent collection showcasing tropical rain-forest crops from which everyday products are produced. For instance, more than two-thirds of cancer-fighting medicines come from tropical plants.