Location: 100 yards from the Gift Shop

Best time to visit: April-June

Map

Plant List

This garden is spectacular in early spring, when native woodland wildflowers take advantage of sunlight and warmth before the canopy fills. Skunk cabbage, trout lily, marsh marigold, and trillium are among the many varieties you will find on an April walk. Later in the summer and early fall, the sunny meadow peaks in interest.

The habitats are remarkably varied for such a small area. Forested slope, flood plain forest, seasonal streams, a pond, and a sunny meadow increase the variety of species present.

This garden incorporates formal plantings at the East entrance with a more natural setting emphasizing native plants. The area has a long history of human disturbance, but restoration work has removed many of the invasive plants and reintroduced native species.

Location

The Wildflower Garden has an entrance on its eastern end near the intersection of Caldwell Road and Forest Home Drive.

The garden can also be accessed from the Cornell Campus or the Gift Shop via the Class of '45 Wildflower Garden Path. To enter the garden from the Class of '45 Path, park at the Gift Shop. Walk through the North Walk portion of the Groundcover Collection, and cross Judd Falls Road to the Class of '45 Path. The path leads 20 yards into the woods. Follow a woodchip path to the right, down wood stairs built into a steep slope. The entrance to the garden is about 100 yards from the Gift Shop.