Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

Name

Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

Legal name

Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

Website

https://rhodygarden.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Federal Way

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Visitor Admissions: General admission fees at $12 per adult, $9 for seniors and students, with free admission for children under 12, military personnel, and members. Revenue supports garden operations and maintenance.
2. Membership Dues: Individual membership at $45/year providing free year-round admission, discounts on purchases, early access to catalogs, invitations to exclusive events, quarterly newsletter, and annual Rhododendron Species Journal.
3. Plant and Nursery Sales: Onsite nursery and online store offering rhododendrons, companion plants, rare specimens, and seeds. Ships plants nationwide. Includes catalog sales with early access for members.
4. Events and Programs: Ticketed events including webinars ($15-$25), Rhododendron Species Symposium ($155-$175), and Evening in the Garden ($20). Some events free with admission.
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting garden operations, conservation efforts, and educational programming.
6. Pollen and Seeds: Pollen order program and seed sales for collectors and researchers. Seeds are no longer offered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden operates a 22-acre nonprofit woodland botanical garden in Federal Way, WA, maintaining the world's largest collection of Rhododendron species (over 10,000 plants). Its core offerings for visitors and members are paid garden admission, an onsite nursery and gift shop, a nationwide mail-order plant catalog, an annual membership program with reciprocal privileges at 345+ North American gardens, ticketed educational events (webinars, symposium, Evening in the Garden, Fall Foliage Festival, Blue Poppy Day), and specialty pollen and seed sales for collectors and researchers.

Product overview

The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden is a 22-acre nonprofit woodland garden offering visitor admission, plant sales through an onsite nursery and mail-order catalog, gift shop, educational programs, and membership. The core offering is the living collection of over 10,000 rhododendron species plants complemented by companion plants (Mahonias, Blue Poppies, Japanese Maples), housed within features including the Rutherford Conservatory, Victorian Stumpery, and Blue Poppy Meadow. Visitors pay admission to explore the garden, with membership providing free admission and additional perks. The nursery and catalog sales distribute rare plants not available elsewhere. Educational programming includes webinars, lectures, and classes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Botanical Garden Admission Public admission to the 22-acre RSBG woodland garden for individual visitors and families ($12 adults, $9 seniors/students; free for children under 12, school groups, military, and members).
• RSBG Annual Membership Annual individual membership program ($45/year) providing free year-round admission, 10% off nursery and gift shop purchases, early access to catalogs, exclusive event invitations, quarterly newsletter, the annual Rhododendron Species Journal, and reciprocal admission privileges at 345+ North American gardens through the AHS.
• RSBG Onsite Nursery Sales Onsite retail nursery offering rare rhododendrons, Himalayan blue poppies, Mahonia, companion plants, and specimens not readily available at commercial nurseries; 10% member discount applies.
• Mail-Order Plant Catalog Online mail-order catalog of rare rhododendrons and companion plants with nationwide shipping, including early access for members and a 10% member discount on catalog purchases.
• Visitor Center Gift Shop Visitor center gift shop stocking garden-themed gifts, books on rhododendrons, horticulture, and Pacific Northwest natural history.
• Educational Webinars Ticketed virtual educational sessions on botanical expeditions, plant exploration, and horticultural topics ($15 members / $25 non-members), with recording access for registrants who cannot attend live.
• Rhododendron Species Symposium Two-day ticketed symposium ($155 members / $175 non-members) featuring guest speakers, garden tours, banquet dinner, and a silent plant auction.
• Evening in the Garden Member Event Ticketed members-only evening event ($20/person, 21+) featuring hors d'oeuvres, non-alcoholic beverages, staff-led garden tours, and a cash bar; exclusively for RSBG members, volunteers, and their guests.
• Garden Tours Guided and self-guided tours through the woodland paths, showcasing diverse plant collections and seasonal displays across the garden's facilities and features.
• Pollen and Seed Orders Specialty program offering pollen (and previously seeds) sourced from the garden's collection for collectors, researchers, and cultivation purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 30,000 annual visitors from around the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hardy Fern FoundationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Partner nursery that participates as a pop-up plant vendor during RSBG events like the Fall Foliage Festival.
• Nobody NurseryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Partner nursery that participates as a pop-up plant vendor during RSBG events like the Fall Foliage Festival.
• The Green GargoyleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Partner nursery that participates as a pop-up plant vendor during RSBG events like the Fall Foliage Festival.
• Original PhillysminorOthers · 1 January 2026Food truck vendor providing food service during RSBG events like the Fall Foliage Festival.
• American Horticulture Society (AHS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024RSBG participates in the American Horticulture Society's Reciprocal Admission Program (RAP), allowing RSBG members to enjoy special admission privileges and discounts at 345+ gardens throughout North America.
• Weyerhaeuser CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Weyerhaeuser Company leased land to RSBG on their Federal Way corporate campus. RSBG clarified in 2014 that despite Weyerhaeuser's headquarters relocation to Seattle in 2016, the botanical garden remained in Federal Way at the same location. Weyerhaeuser spokesperson confirmed the Bonsai and Rhododendron Gardens would not be affected by the corporate move.
• Pacific Bonsai MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Pacific Bonsai Museum co-locates with RSBG on the Weyerhaeuser campus in Federal Way. Both are independently funded 501c3 nonprofit organizations featuring world-class collections. They share facilities and co-host events like Blue Poppy Day.
• Federal Way Arts CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Blue Poppy Day events with Pacific Bonsai Museum and Federal Way Arts Commission, featuring art markets and cultural performances.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United States Botanic Garden: Federal public botanic garden with conservatory, living plant collections, free admissions, and education programs. Comparable institutional focus on plant conservation and public display, though free-to-enter versus RSBG's paid model.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Historic nonprofit botanical garden in St. Louis with a global plant collection, public admissions, memberships, plant trials, and conservation expeditions. Directly comparable institutional model and revenue mix, with significantly larger scale.
• Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens: California-based nonprofit with world-class specialty plant collections, paid admissions, memberships, plant sales, and conservation expeditions. Comparable in curatorial ambition and revenue diversification, though anchored by art/library holdings.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Large-scale nonprofit botanical garden with admissions, memberships, education, plant retail, and conservation programming. Comparable mission and operating model; operates a multi-site footprint and runs major plant-breeding research.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Urban nonprofit botanical garden offering admissions, memberships, plant sales, and education programs with curated specialty collections. Highly comparable in mission, audience, and revenue model to RSBG though based in a major metropolitan area.
• New York Botanical Garden: Largest botanical garden in the United States, located in the Bronx. Directly comparable as a nonprofit public botanic garden featuring living plant collections, paid admissions, memberships, education programming, plant sales, and conservation mission—though far larger and more generalist than RSBG.
• Longwood Gardens: Large nonprofit display garden featuring specialty plant collections, conservatories, ticketed admissions, memberships, and education programming. Closely analogous operating model to RSBG at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Pacific Bonsai Museum: Co-located 501c3 nonprofit on the Weyerhaeuser Federal Way campus featuring a world-class bonsai collection. Highly comparable institutional scale, nonprofit funding model, admissions/membership structure, and shared visitor ecosystem—literally a neighboring peer.
• Hendricks Park Rhododendron Garden: Pacific Northwest rhododendron-focused public garden in Eugene, Oregon. The most directly comparable peer in geographic niche, plant focus, and visitor demographic, though smaller in scale and city-managed rather than a standalone nonprofit.

Regional players

• Washington Park Arboretum: Pacific Northwest nonprofit-managed arboretum in Seattle featuring woody plant collections, paid programming, memberships, and education. Comparable regional audience and conservation focus, with broader (non-rhododendron-centric) plant scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RhodyGarden
• Instagraminstagram.com/rhodygarden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhodygarden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden