Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden was jointly established in 1950 by the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau and the American Rhododendron Society Portland Chapter. This internationally-recognized garden is a beautiful place to visit any time of the year. April through June, when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in full bloom, the garden is a riot of color. A spring-fed lake surrounds much of the garden, attracting countless waterfowl which nest and feed in this natural habitat. In fall and winter, trees and shrubs add their own color and interesting structure.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
5801 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97202
Open to visitors year round. ARS Portland members receive free admission to the garden as part of their membership.
Photo credit — Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Van Veen Nursery & Heritage Garden
Theodore Van Veen, Sr. (Van) established Van Veen back in 1926. He grew plants that were popular in his day and sold many camellias and deciduous azaleas, often using them to trade for groceries during the Great Depression. Van was a charter member of the American Rhododendron Society, which was founded in Portland in 1945. When Van died in 1961, his son Ted Van Veen took over the management of the nursery, followed by Kathy Van Veen in 2003 after the passing of her father, Ted. Kathy passed away in 2017, bequeathing the nursery to the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society. An independent non-profit 501c3 corporation was formed as the Van Veen Heritage Garden, under a conservation easement, to further the work of the Van Veen family.
Van Veen Nursery & Heritage Garden
4201 SE Franklin Street, Portland, OR 97206
Open Monday through Friday 9:00am-5pm by appointment.
The Cecil and Molly Smith Garden
A canopy of native Douglas firs created an ideal environment for the natural woodland garden of rare beauty, featuring superior forms of species and hybrid rhododendrons. This spectacular garden Cecil and Molly created now boasts over 600 rhododendrons and azaleas.
Complementing the rhododendron collection are choice trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and bulbs. Each pathway reveals its own visual treat – a moss covered log with plants tucked in the bark crevices, plants thriving on tree stumps, drifts of wildflowers, masses of cyclamen, Narcissus, Erythronium, and Trillium flourish here.
Cecil and Molly Smith Garden
5055 Raybell Rd NE, St Paul, OR 97137
Open to the public Saturdays and Sundays in April and May. $3 admission, free for ARS members.