A Century in Bloom: The New Orleans Botanical Garden

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we tour classical City Park in the American South.

The Botanical Garden is located within New Orleans City Park, a 1,300-acre landscape that includes the world’s largest grove of mature live oaks, with some trees estimated at 600 to 800 years old. The garden sits beneath this historic canopy, where winding pathways, reflecting pools, manicured beds, and sculpted hedges weave through themed plant collections. City Park Conservancy

Nearly a century after its first roses bloomed, the New Orleans Botanical Garden continues to thrive, offering an immersive horticultural experience for every visitor. Built during the Great Depression, the New Orleans Botanical Garden was the city’s first classical public garden. Framed by centuries-old live oaks and the park’s lagoon, it blends natural beauty with historical architecture and landscaping. Spanning around 12 acres, this urban oasis features winding trails through themed landscapes, including a rose garden, Japanese garden, butterfly garden, and a Historic New Orleans Train Garden.

Tragically, much of the botanical garden was severely damaged when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Submerged under three feet of water for over a week, the garden lost most of its extensive plant collection. The rose garden was devastated, palms were stripped, historic buildings sustained damage, and several sculptures were lost. With strong support from the New Orleans community, the garden reopened just six months later, while still undergoing restoration.