UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the first time in 30 years, Penn State will create a garden display exhibit at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Philadelphia Flower Show. The nation’s largest and longest-running horticulture event will take place March 12-21, 2027, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
The Arboretum at Penn State, part of Penn State Outreach, is leading the exhibit’s development alongside many faculty, staff and students from multiple Penn State campuses and units, collectively bringing the display to life. The exhibit will use horticulture and design to tell a broader Penn State story, connecting an estimated 250,000 Flower Show visitors with the University’s research, education, extension, student experiences and impact across Pennsylvania.
Casey Sclar, H.O. Smith Endowed Director of the Arboretum at Penn State, said the Philadelphia Flower Show provides a unique opportunity to showcase the breadth of Penn State’s work and the many ways the University serves communities across the commonwealth.
“Penn State has an incredible story to tell. The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show gives us an opportunity to tell that story in a whole new way,” Sclar said. “Innovative design and exceptional uses of plants will draw visitors to the exhibit, but we really hope their takeaway is something much bigger: the legacy of experiential education, research, and Penn State’s positive impact across Pennsylvania and beyond. This exhibit allows us to unite all campuses and units of Penn State together and showcase our 21st-century land-grant mission of service.”
Students from Penn State's Abington, Brandywine, Harrisburg and University Park campuses, as well as the Pennsylvania College of Technology, are working on the exhibit’s design, fabrication and implementation, including its signage and communications. They are working alongside faculty, staff and other partners from Penn State Extension, the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, the College of Arts and Architecture, the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, the Office of Physical Plant, the Office of Strategic Communications, the Office of Government and Community Relations, and the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. This experience is providing an opportunity to apply learning beyond the classroom while contributing to the exhibit and show.
Call for iconic objects
The theme for the 2027 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is “Iconic.” The plants, objects and other elements used should reflect the people, research, history and experiences that have shaped Penn State.
As part of that effort, the Arboretum is inviting the entire Penn State community to help tell the University’s story through a “call for objects.”
“We’re asking members of the Penn State community to loan us an object that they feel represents the University, whether it’s connected to athletics, research, a Penn State tradition or something else,” said Rachel Duke, public programs manager for the Arboretum. “We want this to be a community-driven part of the exhibit and show the many ways Penn State has made an impact.”
The Arboretum will welcome objects that:
- Represent a college, department, unit, program, discipline, research area, campus or other aspect of Penn State.
- Reflect an important or interesting moment in Penn State history.
- Connect to the people, places, traditions or experiences of the University.
- Come from Penn State collections or museums.
- Are unexpected, unusual, humorous or uniquely Penn State.
- Are accompanied by a story or significance that you uniquely share.
Learn more about the “call for objects” and submit an object by filling out the form on the Arboretum’s webpage.
The deadline to submit an object is Dec. 18.