Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Opened in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is the City of Pittsburgh’s green oasis, encompassing 15 acres including a 14-room glasshouse and 23 distinct gardens. Nestled in the middle of forested Schenley Park, the Conservatory’s tree collection provides continuity with the park’s environs. In its outdoor gardens, Phipps’ holdings include a diverse array of species ranging from the grand fern leaf European beech tree (Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia') to the kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) and weeping cherry tree (Prunus pendula 'Pendula Rosea'). Indoors, palms, fruiting trees and tropical forest natives like the newly-acquired Acacia koa highlight the efficacy and multitude of uses that have bonded people to trees throughout history. On the campus’ front lawn, 70-year-old dawn redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), which were seeded from the first North American collection after their rediscovery in China and previously thought extinct, provide an awe-striking link to prehistoric Earth. And in its living campus, where three of the greenest buildings in the world set an innovative new standard for spaces that consider the health and wellbeing of people and the planet alike, young native trees play a vital role in bringing a remediated brownfield back to life.