| New Canaan Nature Center | |
| Location: | 144 Oenoke Ridge New Canaan, CT, US |
| Coords: | 41.1535°N -73.5025°W |
| Area: | 40acres |
| Created: | 1960[1] |
The New Canaan Nature Center (40acres) is a botanical garden, arboretum and nature preserve located at 144 Oenoke Ridge, Route 124, about 0.25miles north of the center of New Canaan, Connecticut.
The nature center includes wet and dry meadows, two ponds, wet and dry woodlands, dense thickets, an old orchard, and a cattail marsh, as well as a 4000square feet greenhouse. Landscaped areas of the site include a wildflower garden (which won the 1997 Homer Lucas Landscape Award from the New England Wild Flower Society), a herb garden and a perennial border. About 90% of the plant specimens in the wildflower garden are native species, including bloodroot, columbine, mayapple, jack-in-the-pulpit, wild geranium, Solomon's plume, starflower, and trillium. Shade-loving perennials include bleeding heart, crested iris, Jacob's ladder, hepatica, European ginger and Virginia bluebells. Azaleas, rhododendrons and a stand of mountain laurel also feature.
The center also contains a small arboretum of Sciadopitys verticillata (Umbrella Pine), Chamaecyparis pisifera Squarrosa (Moss Sawara Cypress), Chamaecyparis pisifera Plumosa (Plume False Cyprus), Pinus densiflora 'Umbraculifera'
New Canaan Nature Center features many nature programs throughout the year, including the Fall Fair every October, and maple sugaring celebrations in early spring.