Native Plant Symposium - Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Celebrate the Zoo’s 150th anniversary with the Native Plant Symposium on November 22, 2025!

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Native Plant Symposium is a favorite event for native plant lovers and gardeners from all over the region. Many of the country’s best speakers have presented on a wide range of topics, from the best native plants for your garden to in depth looks at the flora from native ecosystems.

Doors open at 8am, the event begins at 9am. Lunch included. Social hour to follow.

Once again, we’ve found a great group of speakers for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Native Plant Symposium! Price of admission includes Zoo admission, parking morning pastries and coffee, lunch, snacks and drinks. Always sells out. Register early!

Speaker Bios

• Ohio favorite, Andrew Lane Gibson is known for his incredible photography and great native plant talks. This one will be a bit different, almost a photolog of his favorite plants, places, and experiences.
• Panayoti Kelaidis from the Denver Botanic Garden is one of the world’s top plant experts. He has explored plants all around the world. In this talk, he will look at our yards and gardens as microcosms of North America’s ecosystems and how the inherent microclimates can suit or expand our pursuit of a wider ranging palette of native plants. Should be mind blowing!
• We had Sam Hoadley as a speaker only a few years ago. His information was so great, we had to bring him back. Sam heads up the native plant trials at Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware. We’ll enjoy important updates on his work.

• Northcreek Nurseries is also doing important trialing work on native plants, with a lot of this research informing their American Beauties line of native plants. Arden Pontasch will talk about solution plants, both tried and true along with some great new introductions.
• One thing we’ve noticed is that native plant enthusiasts are way ahead on passion for the plants but some are a little lacking on the horticultural knowledge and techniques to have them thrive in gardens. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s own Steve Foltz will fill in some of the gaps in a talk based on over 35 years of real garden experience.
• Brannen Basham from North Carolina gave one of the best native bee talks we’ve ever seen. Absolutely fascinating stuff!
• Dr. Dan Potter, professor emeritus from University of Kentucky, or his students have spoken for us several times before. He’ll wrap up the day with the latest research on how to build a better monarch butterfly garden.

Speakers & Schedule

Andrew Lane Gibson, Ohio Dept. Nat. Resources, 9:00AM-9:50A

Panayoti Kelaidis, Denver Botanical Garden, 9:50AM-10:40AM

Sam Hoadley, Mt. Cuba Center, 11:00AM – 11:50AM

Arden Pontasch, North Creek Nurseries, 12:50PM-1:40PM

Steve Foltz, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 1:40PM – 2:30PM

Brannen Basham, Spriggly’s Beescaping, 2:50PM-3:40PM

Dr. Daniel Potter, 3:40PM - 4:30PM

Have you taken the Plant for Pollinators Challenge? 

Together, we can make a big difference for our littlest friends and important neighbors! 

http://cincinnatizoo.org/horticulture/plant-for-pollinators/ 

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 

3400 Vine Street, Cincinnati OH  45220 

o  (513) 487-3318   |   m  (859) 468-4291