South Park, where the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens sits, was designed by America’s first landscape architect-Frederick Law Olmsted. There are a number of “Original Olmsted Trees” planted on Gardens property within the park. These trees were planted when South Park and the Gardens first opened and are over one hundred fifteen years old. Some key highlights, on the Gardens property, include a very large weeping European beech, copper beeches, a cut-leaf European beech, a beautiful river birch and a bald cypress. Additional “Original Olmsted Trees’ can also be found in South Park surrounding the Gardens.

The outdoor gardens of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical are further divided into themed plantings including the Peace Garden, Native Garden and Healing Garden. The Winter Garden showcases shrubs, trees and other plants with interesting shapes and forms that arise in the colder months-especially appropriate for long Buffalo winters!