Native Research Garden

The Native Plant Teaching and Research Garden is located on the West side of the Sundquist Science Complex. It contains over 300 species of plants, and we’re consistently growing to include new varieties. The majority of the species are Tennessee natives, but there are some additional species native to the surrounding states — i.e. native to the Southeast.

The garden gives Dr. Dwayne Estes, as well as other professors, an avenue to provide applied, hands-on biology and ecology lessons in the heart of campus.

The garden is also relevant to the work of many conservation efforts, including the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative and the Tennessee Plant Conservation Alliance. You can read more about the work of these organizations, including how you can get involved, here:

Southeastern Grasslands Initiative