Garden Nominated Best in U.S.

Photo by Ken Goldman

Crystal Springs Nominated for Best Botanical Garden in US by Newsweek

Released: February 9, 2024

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is honored to be nominated by Newsweek for their Reader’s Choice Awards as Best Botanical Garden in the United States.

Newsweek experts have selected popular gardens throughout the United States that conserve diverse flora and fauna and promote sustainability practices.

Crystal Springs is nominated among such storied and beloved gardens as Chicago Botanic Garden, Desert Botanical Garden, and the United States Botanical Garden.

Readers may vote once per day via the contest website, now until the voting closes on February 29 at Noon ET/ 9:00am PT.

From Crystal Springs Executive Director Brandon Baker:

“It’s an incredible honor to be on a list with such beautiful and impactful public gardens. We are grateful to the panel of experts who nominated Crystal Springs and to our volunteers, supporters, staff, and partner who make this garden a treasured gem in Portland.”

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is a sanctuary of tranquil beauty for the wellbeing of all.

A unique 9.5-acre garden, Crystal Springs contains an outstanding collection of rare species and hybrid rhododendrons, azaleas, and other lesser-known ericaceous plants, as well as many companion plants and unusual trees.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden was jointly established in 1950 by the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau and the American Rhododendron Society’s Portland Chapter (ABN Friends of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden). This partnership continues.

This internationally-recognized garden is a beautiful place to visit any time of the year. April through June, when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in full bloom, the garden is a riot of color. A spring-fed lake surrounds much of the garden, attracting countless waterfowl which nest and feed in this natural habitat. In fall and winter, trees and shrubs add their own color and interesting structure.