Iowa Arboretum & Gardens

ANNUAL PLANT SALE!
2026-04-30 09:00 - 2026-05-02 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Iowa Arboretum & Gardens, 1875 Peach Avenue, MADRID, IA, 50156
Enhance and beautify your garden with the best plants at the annual Plant Sale at Iowa Arboretum & Gardens!
Discover an outstanding selection of perennials and specialty plants carefully chosen for their beauty, performance, and suitability for Iowa landscapes. Whether you’re refreshing a garden bed, adding vibrant color, or searching for that one standout specimen, you’ll find high-quality plants hand-selected by our horticulture expert.
Knowledgeable staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and help you choose the right plants for your space. Plus, every purchase supports the Arboretum’s mission to connect people of all ages with nature.
Shop early for the best selection

What Chinese Gardens Teach Us About Living with Nature
2026-05-02 10:00 - 11:00
Cultural workshop offered during our Annual Plant Sale! Phoebe Liang D’Alessandro is an expert in Chinese philosophy, culture, and China-related issues. She served as a Chinese language and culture professor at Drake University from 2019 to 2022 and has been a Chinese culture ambassador with CultureALL since 2014. Join us as Phoebe presents information about how nature has influenced Chinese approaches to harmonious living. After the talk, come to our greenhouse and peruse the many available plants for your home and garden. GET TICKETS

Garden Social & Auction 2026
2026-05-09 17:00 - 20:30
TICKETS AND TABLE SPONSORSHIPS HERE
Join us for our annual fundraiser to support the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens on Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 5-8:30pm. This is a ticketed event and both individual tickets and table sponsorships for parties of 8 are available.
GET TICKETS HERE (Event Tickets and Sponsorship Tables)

CLASSIC CAR SHOW
2026-06-07 11:00 - 14:00
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026 11am to 2pm ~ Bring your classic car to show or just show up and marvel at the classic beauties lining our lot and grounds! Food trucks will be on hand so you can have a bite while you peruse the collection. BRINGING A CAR TO SHOW? Arrive between 10 -10:45am to get set up.

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-06-09 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring the award winning WEARY RAMBLERS! Food trucks open at 5pm. $10/Members; $15/General Public BUY A SEASON TICKET AND SAVE! Get 4 concert admissions for the price of 3!
BUY SEASON TICKETS HERE
Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!

TWILIGHT LIVE at Treehouse Village 21+
2026-06-25 18:00 - 20:30
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026 from 6pm-8:30pm ~ featuring the bluesy grooves of the SOUL SEARCHERS ~ Join us for this age 21+ event set in the oak-hickory surroundings of Treehouse Village where the tunes echo through the branches. Each ticket includes live music under the trees, tasty bites, adult beverage, bar service, and themed activities to help everyone play around and explore the beautiful woodlands of the Iowa Arboretum … without the kids, of course! GET TICKETS HERE

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-07-14 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring RYTHMIC REWIND! Food trucks open at 5pm. Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!

TWILIGHT LIVE at Treehouse Village 21+
2026-07-23 18:00 - 20:30
THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2026 from 6pm-8:30pm ~ featuring Iowa born favorite JOSHUA SINCLAIR ~ Join us for this age 21+ event set in the oak-hickory surroundings of Treehouse Village where the tunes echo through the branches. Each ticket includes live music under the trees, tasty bites, adult beverage, bar service, and themed activities to help everyone play around and explore the beautiful woodlands of the Iowa Arboretum … without the kids, of course! GET TICKETS HERE

Trial Program Field Day
2026-08-08 10:00 - 16:00
YOU ARE INVITED! Join the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens Trial Program for their third annual Field Day! Including a special program by David McKinney, Adapting Gardens for a Changing Climate (starting at 12:45 pm). PLEASE RSVP HERE by July 20, 2026.
Participate in evaluating perennials and shrubs in the trial garden. Walk the garden to check out soon to be available varieties and let us know your favorites! Evaluation generally takes around 25-30 minutes; you are then welcome to walk the grounds on the West Side of the arboretum for free.
Details: By participating in the Public Evaluation Day, you and up to one adult guest and two children get free admission to the West Side of the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens. Entry into Treehouse Village and the East Side of the grounds will require admission or membership to the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens. *Golf cart service is available for persons needing assistance.
Adapting Gardens for a Changing Climate: Building Biodiversity Through Plant Diversity – David McKinney, Curator of Collections and Grounds, Iowa Arboretum & Gardens
Over the past century, our cities and suburbs and rural areas have been transformed, leaving few landscapes that resemble their original habitats. True ecological restoration is often out of reach—and climate change is making it even harder. As native plants bloom earlier or for shorter periods, critical gaps in nectar and habitat threaten the pollinators and wildlife that depend on them.
Yet there is hope. Join us for an engaging lecture on how diverse plant selections can build stronger, more resilient urban ecosystems. Drawing on 30 years of phenological data and more, we’ll explore how climate change affects native plants’ ability to support pollinators and identify additional criteria—beyond native vs non-native—for evaluating a plant’s ecological value. We’ll review climate-adaptive midwestern native species and explore how expanding native ranges, along with thoughtfully adding select non-natives, can fill ecological gaps and enhance biodiversity in urban environments.
The talk will also address emerging pest threats, highlighting why plant diversity is essential to the health of our urban and suburban landscapes. You’ll gain practical strategies on adapting to shifting plant ranges, choosing species with real ecological benefits, and creating gardens that sustain pollinators and wildlife in a changing climate.
Background: Due to the unique climate in Central Iowa, the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens established an ornamental trial garden for the categories of herbaceous perennials and shrubs in the Spring of 2023. This public-facing trial garden provides beauty, education, and outreach to the people of Iowa in a form viewable to the public, allowing for year-round visibility and observation of these plants. The Public Evaluation Day helps us in several ways. First, we get to hear from you, the consumer, about what plants you want in your garden. Second, we expose the Central Iowa public to the breadth of plants that are available to you while testing their long-term performance. Help us help you garden better!

Learn more about the program: https://iowaarboretum.org/ourplants/trialprogram/

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-08-11 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring THE NADAS! Food trucks open at 5pm. Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!

TWILIGHT LIVE at Treehouse Village 21+
2026-08-27 18:00 - 20:30
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2026 from 6pm-8:30pm ~ featuring singer-songwriter DAY ASHWORTH ~ Join us for this age 21+ event set in the oak-hickory surroundings of Treehouse Village where the tunes echo through the branches. Each ticket includes live music under the trees, tasty bites, adult beverage, bar service, and themed activities to help everyone play around and explore the beautiful woodlands of the Iowa Arboretum … without the kids, of course! GET TICKETS HERE

TUNES IN THE TREES
2026-09-08 17:00 - 20:00
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026 5pm-8pm ~ Join us for this family friendly outdoor concert event featuring FAT TUESDAY & THE GREASEFIRE HORNS! Food trucks open at 5pm. Treehouse Village Playtime until 6pm ($5 per person/free for Members). Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blanket, the kids, your neighbors and the family dog! NEW THIS YEAR: Lawn activities for the kids!
