Leach Botanical Garden
Park Botanical garden preserving native Pacific Northwest plants
Wooded botanical garden in Portland, Oregon, with trails, mature maples and seasonal plantings. Visitors arrive for self-guided walks, horticultural programs and modest plant collections away from the city.
Leach Botanical Garden is a small municipal botanical garden in southeast Portland, Oregon, occupying about 16 acres. It was established in the 1930s by John and Lilla Leach as a woodland garden and plant collection.
The site offers woodland trails, planted collections of rhododendrons and other ornamental and native plants, and a series of informal gardens set on a steep ravine. Paths and short trails wind through mixed conifer and deciduous plantings and lead to viewpoints over the valley.
The garden was created by botanist John Leach and his wife Lilla in the 1930s as a private garden and teaching collection. It was later transferred to public stewardship and is now operated in partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation and a friends group.
The garden sits on a wooded, sloped site in southeast Portland, Oregon, within the city’s residential area and accessed from the city’s southeast neighborhoods. It is a short drive from central Portland.
- Best time to visit: Spring is the best season to see the garden's rhododendrons and many woodland flowering plants at peak bloom.
- Management: Managed in partnership with Portland Parks & Recreation and a volunteer nonprofit, with regular guided walks and volunteer workdays.
How to Get to Leach Botanical Garden #
From downtown Portland, take SE Powell Blvd east to SE 122nd Ave and follow local streets north to the garden entrance. TriMet buses serve nearby corridors (routes vary); a short uphill walk from the nearest bus stop is required.
Tips for Visiting Leach Botanical Garden #
- Enter via the main SE 122nd Avenue gate for the most direct route to the Fern Glade and original pioneer plantings.
- Visit during late spring when the rhododendrons and camellias flower for a surprisingly lush display in eastern Portland.
- Look for the Japanese-style bridge and the succession-planted oak grove; these are quieter pockets most visitors miss.
Best Time to Visit Leach Botanical Garden #
Spring for flowers; summer mornings and autumn for quieter visits.
Weather & Climate near Leach Botanical Garden #
Leach Botanical Garden's climate is classified as Warm-Summer Mediterranean - Warm-Summer Mediterranean climate with warm summers (peaking in August) and cold winters (coldest in December). Temperatures range from 1°C to 28°C. Abundant rainfall (1305 mm/year), wettest in December.
January
January is cold with highs of 8°C and lows of 1°C. Significant rainfall (190 mm).
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February
February is cold with highs of 11°C and lows of 2°C. Significant rainfall (146 mm).
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March
March is cold with highs of 13°C and lows of 4°C. Significant rainfall (134 mm).
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April
April is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 5°C. Regular rainfall (98 mm).
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May
May is cool with highs of 20°C and lows of 8°C. Moderate rainfall (77 mm).
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June
June is cool with highs of 24°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (54 mm).
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July
July is mild with highs of 27°C and lows of 13°C. The driest month with just 23 mm.
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August
August is the warmest month with highs of 28°C and lows of 12°C. Moderate rainfall (30 mm).
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September
September is cool with highs of 25°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (58 mm).
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October
October is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 6°C. Significant rainfall (101 mm).
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November
November is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 4°C. Significant rainfall (190 mm).
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December
December is the coolest month with highs of 8°C and lows of 1°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (204 mm).
