A burst of cheery colour on a grey morning 🌷

🏷️ Tulipa saxatilis 'Lilac Wonder'
📷 Hélène Tronc

Don't miss our Super Spring Family Day this Wednesday at Harcourt Arboretum.

Join us for a day of seasonal activities and find out about what the trees, plants and animals are doing in spring. There will be trails, tours and nature crafts for all ages. go.glam.ox.ac.uk/h8jc41omt

Fuel your woodland wander with locally roasted coffee and sweet treats from local bakers!
@horseboxcoffee are open daily at Harcourt Arboretum until 12 April, and every Sat & Sun thereafter.

📷 @horseboxcoffee

⚠️ Due to high winds our glasshouses may be closed this Sunday (7 April). The rest of the Garden will be open as normal. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Up for a walk on a sunny spring/summer day? Plant Power! is a trail I've designed around antimicrobial resistance, plants, and ethics. The Oxford Botanic Garden University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum have just launched it, so pick up a brochure at the entrance and enjoy a walk! #AMR Ethox Centre

Ever heard of a spaghetti tree? #AprilFoolsDay #aprilfakes2024

Stapelia gigantea - one of the fraudsters of the plant world. Unlike most insect-pollinated flowers, it doesn't offer sweet nectar as a reward. Rather, it pretends to be a dead animal by mimicking the stench of a carcass, and its fine hairs look like animal fur. #AprilFakes2024

NEW
There has never been a more important time to study plant science, says Chris Thorogood – author of Pathless Forest: The Quest to Save the World's Largest Flowers. Here he recommends five of his favourite books on botany.

fivebooks.com/best-books/bot…

If you're attending @OxfordLitFest, don't miss the chance to visit our new Literary Garden trail. Find out about the plants that inspired Agatha Christie, Shakespeare and more.
Plan your visit here: go.glam.ox.ac.uk/5A-GZoYxz #olf2024 #oxfordliteraryfestival

We can't wait! Find out more about #BUC2024 here: botanicaluniversitychallenge.co.uk

Our Deputy Director Chris Thorogood on the quest to protect species of Rafflesia from extinction 👇

We're delighted to be welcoming @racheldethame to give the final lecture in our Winter Lectures series: 'A wholistic approach to gardening for wellbeing and wildlife'. Join us on Tuesday 19 March at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Tickets here: go.glam.ox.ac.uk/iFBZo6Sge

Acer buds positively glowing in the afternoon sun at ⁦University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum⁩ Harcourt Arboretum today

This Thursday, join RHS Gold-medal winning designer Juliet Sargeant for our penultimate Winter Lecture. Juliet will share how her life experience has influenced how she shapes landscapes to create new experiences for visitors. Find out more & book tickets: go.glam.ox.ac.uk/7_cD9eqkb

Did you catch our Deputy Director Chris Thorogood on BBC Radio 4 this morning talking about the enigmatic Rafflesia?

Fascinating flowers 🌸

During his expedition to Teluk Segara in Indonesia, University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum's Dr Chris Thorogood came across the curious Rhizanthes flower.

The flower - the size of a dinner plate - is covered in hairs and produces a strange smell to attract pollinating flies.

It's #WorldWildlifeDay ! Harcourt Arboretum is home to a variety of wildlife, from deer and badgers to dragonflies and beetles, thanks to its many different habitats, including woodland, coppice, wildflower meadows, and exotic trees and shrubs.

#WWD2024
World Wildlife Day

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!

Daffodils (Narcissus) have long been associated with Wales as their appearance coincides with St David's Day. Other names such as 'Lent lilies' and 'Easter bells' point to their importance as symbols of spring and Easter. #stdavidsday #daffodils

Pathless Forest, the latest publication from our Deputy Director Chris Thorogood, is The Guardian's Book of the Day - an account of his lifelong obsession with Rafflesia, and his urgent work alongside local guardians and colleagues to conserve these endangered plants.

YES YES YES! We finally found the exceptionally rare Rafflesia banahawensis in bloom on the slopes of Mount Banahaw in the Philippines. This species has evaded me in the past. To see it in flower today was truly special.