Mothers Day Open House at McBryde Garden

A water lily at McBryde Garden.

This Mother’s Day, the National Tropical Botanical Garden is inviting mothers and their families to an open house in McBryde Garden for a day of flowers, fun, music, and food.

Entrance to the Sunday event is free for mothers and children under five-years-old, with a suggested donation of $10 for all others to support NTBG’s research, conservation and education efforts.

The first shuttle to the garden will depart from the South Shore Visitors Center — across from Spouting Horn in Po‘ipu — beginning at 9 a.m. with shuttle buses regularly transporting visitors into the garden on a first-come, first-served basis.

The last shuttle into the garden will depart the Visitors Center at 1 p.m. Shuttle buses will return to the center from the garden regularly until the last bus out at 3 p.m.

Visitors at McBryde Garden.

For 27 years, NTBG has hosted a Mother’s Day event to celebrate this special day. During last year Mother’s Day, visitors were invited to a sneak peek of the Biodiversity Trail construction. This year, they will get to experience the completed trail, which tells the story of 450 million years of plant evolution. Visitors are also invited to check out the giant “stick sculpture” by renowned environmental sculptor Patrick Dougherty featured in the McBryde Garden this year.

“We are so delighted to invite families into the McBryde Garden once again for our annual Mother’s Day Open House. Last year’s preview of the Biodiversity Trail was such an exciting time and we can’t wait for visitors to come back and experience the completed trail,” director Andy Jasper said. “It is an interactive trail which features rare plants, a mist tunnel, and a compelling story that adults and children of all ages will enjoy.”

Visitors will be able to spend the day in the garden and shop for orchids, Kaua‘i Made products and handmade crafts by NTBG volunteers. Plants, crafts and OnoPops will be available in the garden from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with food trucks and live music offered from noon to 2:30 p.m.

McBryde Garden Visitor Center.

Visitors are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring rain and sun protection, a water bottle and insect repellant. The staff also encourages visitors to bring canned food items for donation to the Hawai‘i Food Bank-Kaua‘i Branch. Families are invited to bring a picnic blanket or mat so they can enjoy the festivities while relaxing in the garden (no coolers, please).

Call 742-2433 at least 10 days in advance for accessibility accommodations.

NTBG’s South Shore Visitors Center is at 4425 Lawa‘i Rd. in Po‘ipu. Call 742-2433 or visit calendar.ntbg.org for more information.

NTBG is a nonprofit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. Its mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions. NTBG is supported primarily through donations and grants.