About the Botanic Gardens
What is a Botanic Garden?
A botanic garden is a living space designed to educate, inspire and connect people to the essential role plants play in our lives. Botanic gardens serve as places for learning, research, environmental stewardship and community engagement, using plants as a foundation for exploring health, ecology and human well-being.
The Role of Botanic Gardens at KU Medical Center
The KU Medical Center Botanic Gardens are a collection of teaching, wellness and demonstration gardens across the University of Kansas Medical Center campus. Our gardens support education, wellness, sustainability and connection through accessible green spaces and programs.
Our gardens help people explore:
- The food we eat — edible gardens, nutrition education and Food is Medicine initiatives
- The medicines we take — medicinal plants, herbal education and plant science connections
- Our mental and emotional well-being — restorative green spaces that promote healing, mindfulness and stress reduction
- The ecosystems that sustain us — pollinators, biodiversity, trees and environmental stewardship
- The power of community — volunteerism, partnerships, workforce development and shared learning
Our Mission
To enhance the educational experience at KU Medical Center by exploring the critical role of plants and nature in food, medicine and human health.
Our Vision
A campus and community where access to nature, fresh food and plant-based knowledge supports healthier people and a more sustainable future.
Our Story
The KU Medical Center Botanic Gardens began as a vision to transform campus green spaces into meaningful places of learning and connection. What started with simple plantings and seasonal displays has grown into a dynamic program that integrates food production, wellness initiatives and educational programming across campus.
Today, the gardens serve as a hub for collaboration, supporting Culinary Medicine, student engagement, sustainability efforts and community partnerships. Our efforts are rooted in the belief that plants play a vital role in human health.
What Makes Us Unique
- Located on an urban academic medical center campus
- Integrates health, education and sustainability
- Functions as a living laboratory
- Supports Food is Medicine initiatives
- Provides accessible, visible learning spaces
Meet the Staff
- Eric Tow, Assistant Director of Landscape Operations
- Sarah Norris, Program Manager for the Community Gardens
- Shawn Gulley, Operations Manager and Irrigation Specialist
Garden Etiquette
For the enjoyment of others and the protection of the gardens, we thank you for following these simple guidelines:
- View and smell flowers and leaves, but please leave them for others to enjoy.
- Kindly stay on paths and sidewalks.
- Marvel at the garden beds, trees, walls, sculptures and water features, but please do not climb on or in them.
- Please do not throw coins into water features.
- Wheelchairs and strollers are permitted in the gardens.
- Bicycles, skateboards, skates, scooters and motorized vehicles are prohibited on paths and sidewalks throughout campus.
- The University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Kansas Health System campuses are smoke-free environments.
- Service animals are welcome to accompany visitors in the Gardens, but other animals are prohibited.
- No commercial photography, please.