The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is a community resource showcasing native and cultivated plants that flourish at high altitude. The Garden connects people to the region's unique beauty and fosters environmental stewardship through education, events, displays and plant collections.
The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is public non-profit 501 (c)3. It was founded in 1994 by a small local group of passionate gardeners
and environmentalists. With the generous support of the Global Environmental Project Institute, this group was able to purchase
a five-acre site, build a community building with a solar greenhouse, and begin their dream of establishing a Public Garden.
The goal of the Garden is to establish a place to build community through the understanding and exploration of both native and
cultivated plants. Understanding the unique ecology of this region and exploring the wonders of gardening provided a multitude
of opportunities to "celebrate plants and inspire people".
Through its programs, the Sawtooth Botanical Garden provides information on gardening and ecological principles relevant to the
areas climatic conditions and plant and human communities.
The Sawtooth Botanical Garden offers an affordable alternative to rent for private parties for adults and children, meetings,
conferences and special events. We have a beautiful greenhouse for winter parties and a full kitchen facility. In the summertime
you can rent our lovely garden and the indoor space. Please contact us if you would like to visit the facility and learn more!
The Garden serves the Wood River Valley community of approximately 22,500 and a wider south central Idaho region of over 100,000.
The five-acre garden is located off of Highway 75, five miles south of the town of Ketchum, at 11 Gimlet Road and Highway 75.
Our Master Plan
The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is distinguished through
its mission to represent the five biomes of south-central Idaho. The master
plan responds to this mission with five major gardens representing these
biomes: Sagebrush Steppe garden, Lava Rock garden, Alpine garden, Montane
garden and Riparian garden.
Sagebrush Steppe: The sagebrush steppe is the main ecosystem found in south
central Idaho. Dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata)
this ecosystem also hosts a variety of drought tolerant grasses and
wildflowers commonly referred to as forbs. The Sagebrush Steppe ecosystem
hosts a large variety of plants, over 400 species of wildlife, and over
1,000 invertebrates. Most notable are those species known as Sagebrush
obligates or species dependant on the sagebrush biome for their survival.
Examples of these animals are: Sage Grouse, Brewer's Sparrow, Sage Thrasher,
Sage Sparrow, Pygmy Rabbit (Endangered), Sagebrush Lizard, Sagebrush Vole,
and Pronghorn Antelope. The main threat to the disappearing Sagebrush biome
is human use and fires.
Lava Rock: Unique to south central Idaho and most evident in the eastern
portion of the Snake River Plain, is the lava rock biome. This unique
volcanic landscape is a result of the North American Plate moving in a
southwesterly direction over the stationary Yellowstone hotspot. Over
millions of years of volcanic activity basalt and rhyolite now dominate the
landscape. Currently, the earths crust is being pulled apart by what is
known as basin and range type faulting. Although seemingly inhospitable,
this unique dessert ecosystem is home to over 600 plant species and a large
variety of migratory and indigenous animals.
Alpine: Although often confused with the Montane Ecosystem, the Alpine
biome occurs specifically above the tree line, usually found between
6,560-7,220ft. This alpine zone is also commonly referred to as the high
mountain biome. Not all alpine plants throughout the globe grow at the same
altitudes; for example Mt. Kilimanjaro's alpine zone starts at 11,480ft
while in the Alps you'll find alpine plants at 5,900 ft. The alpine zone is
further broken down to the sub-alpine, alpine, high alpine, and snow zones.
Extreme conditions have created a variety of adaptations within the flora
creating and abundance of beautiful and unique plant varieties.
Montane: The montane biome is extraordinary both in its beauty and its wide
range of habitat. The Rocky Mountains are 65 million years old which is
fairly young, geologically speaking. The upper boundary of the Montane
biome is defined by the tree line (below the sub-alpine zone). This unique
high altitude ecosystem hosts a variety of plants due to the variations in
soil, temperature, climate, and slope.
Riparian: The riparian zone can be identified by both wetland soils and
vegetative type. The riparian zone is especially important in the arid
west. This zone which lays adjacent to rivers and streams, is utilized by
many familiar local wildlife such as moose, elk, deer, several bird species,
and small mammals. Riparian zones also help keep our rivers and streams
healthy for our fish. In our region the riparian overstory is dominated by
cottonwoods, willows, and red-osier dog woods. The plants in the riparian
area help to dissuade erosion, increase water filtration, and provide
excellent habitat for wildlife.
Each of these gardens will display plants from these biomes and their
natural association to one another. Additionally, in keeping with the
Sawtooth Botanical Gardens mission to reach out and educate, each of the
smaller display areas within these garden areas will demonstrate how these
plants can be used in landscape design in the Wood River Valley. The five
distinct gardens surround and intermingle with numerous other improvements
for educational programming and community use and enjoyment.
The CHILDRENS GARDEN and COMMUNITY AREA is unique for this valley and extremely
important in educating our youth about how plants grow and where our food
comes from along with creating a safe environment to play and spend time
with family and friends. This is also a place to hold children's classes,
and educational programs in an outdoor garden environment, while splashing
in the spray pool on a hot summer day.
Visitors will be greeted at a new ENTRANCE PLAZA and ADMISSIONS GIFT SHOP
which helps to orient the visitor and again encourage educational
opportunities. The Gift Shop will offer items for sale typically associated
with regional botanical gardens such as books, garden bags, T-shirts,
wildflower seeds, mugs and the like.
EDUCATIONAL, EXPERIMENTAL AND SHOW GARDENS are developed to help educate the
public about our regional ecology, garden techniques, plant varieties and
irrigation practices. These are gardens to showcase what grows in our
region along with experimenting with other plant species not typically seen
here. These gardens open up the opportunity to test not only different
varieties of plants but also different irrigation techniques for educational
purposes.
The OUTDOOR EVENT AREA is a much needed public gathering space and central
to the VISITOR CENTER AND GREENHOUSE which houses offices, meeting room,
kitchen and the greenhouse. It will be flanked with three new greenhouses
and offer a venue for medium to large group activities and rentals.
Three new GREENHOUSES will lengthen our growing season and showcase more
exotic plant species. These would create a garden environment open to the
public twelve months of the year.
The GARDEN OF INFINITE COMPASSION was created in September, 2005 in honor of the
Dalai Lama's visit to the Wood River Valley. A contemplative garden, it is
a place of both inner and outer repose; it is a place where we abandon the
chatter of our minds and the distractions of our lives to enter the serenity
of nature and find the calm of a quiet mind.
