The Willow Glade in Celebration of Brandon Mandelbaum highlights the water-loving plant communities of riparian habitats - the banks of rivers, creeks, streams, and their related wetlands. Although riparian habitats make up less than one percent of the land area of the Western United States, around seventy-five percent of all wildlife species depend on them for some part of their lives.

Willows (Salix) are found in wet habitats throughout the world and serve as important food and shelter for wildlife as small as flies and as big as moose. Dozens of willow species grow in Colorado and, to preserve and showcase their unique regional variations, the willows in this garden were wild collected in Colorado in cooperation with the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

For a list of plants in the Willow Glade, click here.

The Willow Glade was built, planted and dedicated in 2023, replacing the South African Plaza.