Ezra Taft Benson Life Sciences Building

(Closed for holidays and periodic renovations)

Group tours arranged through University Relations

Background

Plants provide food, shelter, clothing, and beauty. The greenhouses at BYU-Idaho are working laboratories used for the biology, agriculture, and horticulture programs and also by areas such as psychology and art.

 

BYU-Idaho students studying plant sciences learn to identify the hundreds of specimans growing in the greenhouses. Recent remodeling projects gave students a hands-on experience in design, construction, and maintaining ecosystems. Students built waterfalls, bridges, and irrigation systems. 

Tropics  Greenhouse (Jungle Room)

You'll feel like you stepped into a jungle as you cross the walkway into the tropics. Palm trees tower overhead while you explore to find how many colors are displayed in the flowers, whether the bananas are ripe, or perhaps let your imaginations run wild with the Monstera Deliciosa.

Desert Greenhouse

Step into desert ecosystem and discover diversity and beauty. Over 70 varieties of cacti are on display including the barrel cactus which can live up to 130 years.

Tomato Hydroponics Greenhouse

You may think you've stepped into the scene from Jack and the Beanstock except for the tomatoes. Grown with a rich, computer controlled mix of nutrients but without soil, these hydroponic vines tower overhead and wrap around the room. Seeing is believing that crop production can be enhanced through development of new technologies.

Research and Development

Numerous companies contribute new variations of seeds to the Horticulture Department to test production and suitability for the Idaho zone. Seed are planted and nurtured by Horticulture majors and later transplanted into the demonstration area of the Thomas E. Ricks Gardens.