Leach Botanical Garden Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Leach Botanical Garden
Coniferous Woods section of Leach Botanical Garden, 2008
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Type	Botanical garden
Location	Portland, Oregon, United States
Area	15-acre (6.1 ha)
Website	leachgarden.org

Leach Botanical Garden is a special place in outer southeast Portland, Oregon. It's a big botanical garden, about 16 acres (6.5 hectares), filled with many different kinds of plants. It's a great spot to explore nature and learn about plants. The city of Portland now takes care of this beautiful garden, which became part of the Portland Parks Bureau in 1972.

Discovering the Garden's Past

How the Garden Started

The Leach Botanical Garden began in 1931. It was first the private garden for the home of a botanist named Lilla Leach and her husband, John Leach, who was a pharmacist. They loved plants and created this amazing garden around their house. At first, they called their garden "Sleepy Hollow."

In 1936, the Leaches built their main house, which looked like a cozy cottage. Before their big house was ready, they lived in a smaller stone cottage near Johnson Creek during the summer.

Lilla Leach: A Plant Explorer

Lilla Leach was a very important botanist. She was the first person to receive a special award called the Eloise Payne Luquer Medal in 1950. This award came from the Garden Club of America and was given for her amazing work in botany, which is the study of plants.

Lilla also worked to protect nature. From 1945 to 1948, she was the director of an organization called Save the Myrtle Wood, Inc. This group worked to protect myrtle trees.

The Garden Becomes a Public Park

After Lilla and John Leach passed away, they left their garden to the City of Portland. They had one important rule: the city had ten years to start taking care of the garden. If the city didn't, the land would go to the YMCA. Luckily, the city took over, and now everyone can enjoy this wonderful garden.

Exploring the Plants and Trails

A Home for Many Plants

Today, Leach Botanical Garden is home to a huge collection of plants. There are over 2,000 different types! You can find many kinds of plants here, including:

Alpine plants (plants that grow in mountains)
Medicinal herbs (plants used for medicine)
Rock garden plants
Beautiful camellias
Over 125 different kinds of ferns

Many of the plants have labels, so you can learn their names as you walk around.

Walking Through Nature

The garden is divided by a stream called Johnson Creek. Most of the land is on a slope, which means there are hills and inclines. You can follow a self-guided tour along trails that wind through the garden. As you walk, you'll see tall fir trees, many different ferns, and colorful wildflowers. It's a great way to spend time outdoors and discover the beauty of nature.