The BSU campus is located on the east side of Capitol. Turn on to campus at the University Drive entrance. Located on the BSU campus near the Science-Nursing Building. The Great Basin Native Plant Garden showcases native shrubs and herbaceous perennials of southwest Idaho. The garden is designed to demonstrate that drought-tolerant plants are a viable landscaping option.
Typical landscaping requires a large amount of irrigation water.
The primary goal of the garden is to show that native plants are aesthetically pleasing as well as environmentally more sound. The garden also provides a bit of interaction for humans with their natural environment. In 1990, the BSU Foundation provided a grant to ecologist Dr. James Munger to develop a native plant garden approximately 50 yards from the Boise River. The project was completed in Spring 1993 under the direction of Botanist Dr. James Smith with the help of his students and BSU staff.