Wildflowers are an important part of North America s heritage. Native plants are vital to the health of every natural habitat, yet nearly one-fourth of all known American wildflowers and native plants are in danger of extinction.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a non-profit organization committed to the preservation and reestablishment of native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees. Thousands of people proudly claim membership in the growing ranks of our organization, and are putting their concern for the environment into action. The Wildflower Center's primary focus is educating the public about the ecological, economic, and aesthetic importance of wildflowers and other native flora and works with homeowners, professionals, industry, and government to further our mission to offer practical, solution-oriented approaches to environmental problems.

Founded by Lady Bird Johnson in 1982, the Wildflower Center strives to restore damaged habitats by sharing its knowledge of native plants. The Wildflower Center actively encourages state highway departments, teachers, and backyard gardeners to use native plants.

The Wildflower Center's new facility is situated on 42 acres in southwest Austin. The Center is a native plant botanical garden, with more than two acres of formally landscaped gardens and courtyards showcasing the magnificent native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees of the Texas Hill Country. The facility is a model of environmental sensitivity and demonstrates how anyone can practice resource conservation.

The Center consists of 34,000 square feet of buildings and 72,000 square feet of gardens and educational demonstration areas. The complex includes a 232-seat auditorium that allows the Center to host national symposia and conferences; a 3,000 square-foot educational gallery with museum-quality displays; a panoramic view of the wildflower meadow; and a video viewing room; a cafe and catering kitchen; two multi-purpose classrooms; two greenhouses; the children's Little House; Library; Wild Ideas: The Store; 23 demonstration gardens; courtyard; walking trail; and a 44-foot-high stone observation tower. The Center features a highly sophisticated rain water harvesting five sets of triple process water quality ponds and a 263,000 gallon maximum capacity.

The Center offers unlimited opportunities to educate the public about the many benefits of native plants. The exhibits in the educational gallery educate the public about the many benefits of native plants and plants native to other floristic regions of North America. The auditorium and classrooms enable the Center to host and present native plant symposia, conferences, and workshops to a broad spectrum of professionals and lay persons. The Children's Little House provides a venue for educational programming geared to our younger visitors. The Library and Clearinghouse allows Center staff to continue compiling and distributing vital information about native plants to the public, and the demonstration gardens and trail offer our visitors a chance to experience the beauty of native plants in their natural habitats firsthand.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, formerly National Wildflower Research Center, was created in 1982 by Mrs. Lyndon B.Johnson and Helen Hayes. It is dedicated to the preservation and reestablishment of North American native plants in planned landscapes.