Discovery Green is a relaxing, green oasis in the middle of the city.  Its landscapes, gardens and trees highlight Houston’s natural diversity and gardening traditions, while providing wildlife habitats. The Discovery Green Conservancy maintains the park and its gardens, and it is committed to nurturing these natural environments using sustainable horticultural practices.

About the Landscape

Designed by Hargreaves Associates and Lauren Griffith Associates, the park’s landscapes offer a whole world of nature in the middle of downtown Houston.  There are three large areas of gardens that are linked by the Andrea and Bill White Promenade. The White Promenade is lined by shady Mexican Sycamores.

The Wortham Foundation Gardens show off Houston’s wide diversity of gardening traditions.

Kinder Lake offers water gardens, wetland areas, grasslands and groves.

The Brown Foundation Promenade features flowering and shade gardens under the boughs of century-old Live Oaks.

Trees

The park’s trees not only provide shade, but they also shape its spaces, frame views and channel prevailing breezes to cool the park. Species of trees in the park include: Live Oaks, Mexican Sycamores, Montezuma Cypress, Loblolly Pines, Texas Red Oaks, Bur Oaks, American Sweetgums, Allee Elms, Southern Magnolias, Swamp Chestnut Oak s, Golden Rain Trees, Natchez Crape Myrtles, River Birch, Eastern Redbuds, Mountain Laurels, Mexican Plums, Chinese Fringe Trees, and Rusty Blackhaw Viburnums.

Wetland and Gardens

Waste Management Inc. Gardens

 Lining the north shore of Kinder Lake, this is the park’s  largest garden and includes wetland plants (Louisiana Iris and Whitetop Sedge on the lake side of its gravel path) and upland grasses (Giant Liriope, Dwarf Maiden Grass, Karly Rose Fountain Grass and Gulf Coast Muhly) on the upland side.

Lindsey Garden & Cooper Industries Garden   

At the eastern end of Kinder Lake, these water gardens contain Louisiana Iris, Yellow Flag Iris, Pickerel Rush, Variegated Water Celery, Lizard’s Tail and Arrow Arum.  Water Lilies float further out in the water.

Vinson & Elkins Garden

 An upland slope shaded by large Red Oaks and Silver Maples, this gateway garden from downtown offers large expanses of Giant Liriope and Gulf Coast Muhly that envelope and protect the John P. McGovern Children’s Playground.     

The Brown Foundation Promenade

Devon Energy Global Garden

 Located next to Bracewell Plaza and along Lamar Street, this garden highlights plants from around the world that immigrated to Houston with her diverse population. This garden includes Mexican Heather and Sedum, Hybrid Pride of Barbados, Chinese Goddess Bamboo, French Lavender, Korean Boxwood, English Thyme and African Iris.

Lily Chen Foster Garden

 Located where the Andrea and Bill White Promenade meets Lamar Street, a variety of lilies highlight this garden, including Spider Lily, Daylilies, Lily of the Nile, White Rain Lily, Giant Crinum Lily, and Black-Eyed Stella Daylily.

Jimi Derrick's Arbor

Shaded by the Nancy G. Kinder Oak—the largest of the Live Oaks moved to The Brown Foundation Promenade—this shade garden includes Indica and Encore Azaleas, Sasanqua and Japanese Camelias, Holly Fern, Reeves’ Spirea and Asian Jasmine.  

The Wortham Foundation Gardens

Bernice Hevrdejs Butterfly Garden & Sanders Hummingbird Garden

Designed to attract birds and butterflies, these side-by-side gardens are full of plants with bright flowers, including Coral Fountain Plant, Native Turk’s Cap, Hamaelia, Compact Blue Butterfly, Cherry Chief Sage, Winecups, Yellow Cestrum, Yellow and Red Shrimp Plants, Blue Princess Verbena, Pentas, and African Bauhinia.

Allen Family Rose Garden

Located next to Jimi Derrick’s Arbor and the Transier Bandstand, old and adapted roses can be found in this garden, including Republic of Texas, Ducher, Mutabilis, Rouleti, Double Knock-out, Old Blush, Iceberg, Nearly Wild, Martha Gonzales and Buff Beauty Roses.

Clea and Chapman's Garden

Located at the corner of Avenida de las Americas and Lamar, this corner garden offers a bright display of sun-loving annuals, including Pansies, Periwinkle, Begonias and Snapdragons at different times of year, and perennials, including Salvia, Rudbeckia, Foxtail Fern, Asian Jasmine, Dwarf Abelia and Dwarf Gardenia.

Jackie Martin Family Scent Garden

Located between the Riley Family Fountain and the Maconda O’Connor Listening Vessels, this garden offers scents and smells of all different types from Oregano, Rosemary, Sweetspire, Phlox, Gardenia, Night Blooming Jasmine, Alyssum, “Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow” and Skinner’s Banana Shrub.

Mary Lents Native Plant Garden

Texas native shrubs and flowers can be found in this garden, which is located between the Riley Family Fountain and the Grace Event Lawn.  There are simply too many plants to list, but they include several varieties of Sage, Red Yucca, Guara, Viburnum, Salvia, Chile Pequin, Mexican Mint Marigold, Esperanza and Gulf Coast Penstemon.

Fulbright & Jaworski LLP Garden

Tropicals thrive in Houston’s climate as this garden shows with its Hibiscus, Plumbago, Bird of Paradise, Croton, Bouganvillea, Bromeliad, Candlebush, Dwarf Oleander, Ixora, Shell Ginger, and Natal Plum.

Michelle Rozzell Bulb Garden

Located beyond the Hagstette Putting Green, this garden highlights bulbs, including Cyclamen, Pfitzer’s Dwarf Cannas, Aspidistra, So Sweet Hosta, Walking Iris, Autumn Crocus, Amaryllis, several varieties of Hyacinth, Daffodils, Narcissus, Freesia, Scilla, Montbertia, and, of course, Tulips.

All the photos on this page were taken by Lauren Griffith.

 Download a copy of Discovery Green’s Garden Brochure (PDF)