A Woman, A Garden, An Organization: The Berry Botanic Garden at 25

Spring 2002

High mountains and their plants were exhilarating to Rae Berry, here atop Eagle Cap in Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains. Photo courtesy of the American Primrose Society
Passionate gardener, exceptional plantswoman, and an inspirational figure in the world of horticulture, Rae Selling Berry prevailed over a condition of hereditary deafness and left a remarkable legacy for plant lovers. In the Berry Botanic Garden, the admirable depth and breadth of the plant collections, and the projects the garden carries out today attest to Mrs Berry's enduring spirit.
Alice Joyce, West Coast Gardenwalks

When The Friends of the Mrs A C U Berry Botanic Garden signed articles of incorporation in 1977, they undertook to go forward with the care and development of a garden already mature and with prestige far beyond the Pacific Northwest.

The story of Rae Selling Berry and her garden sets the stage for the twenty-five-year history of The Berry Botanic Garden (its amended corporate name) and its ongoing role in horticulture, education, and conservation of native plants.

Rae Selling was born in Portland in 1881, ...