The Rock Alpine Garden is the most diverse plant collection of the York Street gardens. Over 4,500 plants representing over 3,000 taxa (unique types of plants) grow in this one-acre space. Plants in this garden represent many regions of the world, from our own Rocky Mountains to the mountain ranges around the world including the Andes (South America), Atlas (Morocco), Caucasus (Asia Minor), Drakensberg (South Africa), Himalayas (Asia), Pyrenees and Alps (Europe). The plants grown in this garden range from three state champion conifers to bulbs that bloom in November.

Alpine plants in nature are threatened by global climate change and human-caused destruction. Alpine ecosystems are also extremely fragile.

The Rock Alpine Garden was designed by Herb Schaal and built in 1980.

For a list of plants in the Rock Alpine Garden, click here.