A New Chapter Is Beginning

The Arboretum Foundation is changing. After more than 90 years supporting the Washington Park Arboretum through fundraising, advocacy, and managing membership, the Arboretum Foundation is uniting with the University of Washington Botanic Gardens to become Seattle Botanic Gardens®.

This transition is the next chapter of a 90-year partnership between these organizations, strengthening the connections among our three garden locations: the Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle Japanese Garden, and Center for Urban Horticulture.

A New Mission

The new mission of Seattle Botanic Gardens® is to deepen relationships between plants, people, and place through understanding and a commitment to shared stewardship.

Guided by this mission, we’re excited to create new opportunities for visitors to:

• Connect through science and discovery by exploring plants, ecosystems, and the knowledge that helps us better understand our world.
• Experience stewardship in action through thriving gardens, living collections, and the care that sustains them for future generations.
• Find belonging through welcoming spaces, learning opportunities, events, recreation, and shared experiences that bring people together.

We look forward to sharing more as Seattle Botanic Gardens® takes root and grows throughout 2026. Together, we’re building toward a future where plants, people, and place flourish through shared stewardship

Honoring Place

We acknowledge that the city of Seattle and its environs, including the Arboretum, are on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish Peoples. We recognize their stewardship of these lands since time immemorial and thank the original caretakers, past, present, and future. This acknowledgement is one small part of our ongoing commitment to be in good relationship with the land and its peoples. As Seattle Botanic Gardens takes shape, we look forward to deepening partnerships with Coast Salish communities and strengthening our shared stewardship of these lands now and into the future.

Related links

• Arboretum Foundation and UW Botanic Gardens Unite After Decades of Partnership, Arboretum Foundation Blog, January 2026.
• Seattle Botanic Gardens Announces Dr. Christina Owen as Inaugural CEO, Arboretum Foundation Blog, March 2026.
• Arboretum Foundation Marks Final Annual Meeting, Arboretum Foundation Blog, July 2026.
• Seattle Botanic Gardens: Our New Website (Coming Soon!)