Horticulture Internship

Job Description

Internships range from 3 months to 1 year and begin in May or June. All internships are hourly positions (approximately $20/hr). College credit may be arranged by students and is encouraged. Housing is not provided. All interns develop an independent project to present to staff, volunteers, and Arboretum stakeholders at the conclusion of their internship. Additionally, interns participate in professional development opportunities and local educational field trips.

Available Internships:
▶ Asian Collections (1 year; opportunity to combine with another position): Plants collected from the rich floras of China, Japan, and Korea.
▶ Azalea Collection (3–6 months): Cultivated azaleas in a native woodland setting.
▶ Conifer and Dogwood Collections (3 months): Hundreds of varieties of conifers and dogwoods.
▶ Fern Valley Native Plant Collection (1 year): Plants native to the eastern United States in woodland and meadow settings.
▶ Friendship Garden (3 months; opportunity to combine with another position): Innovative landscapes that include woody plants, perennials, ornamental grasses, bulbs, and aquatics designed for year-round interest.
▶ National Herb Garden (1 year): Largest designed herb garden in the nation that includes annual, perennial, and woody herbal plants.

About Us

The U.S. National Arboretum’s mission is to enhance the economic, environmental, and aesthetic value of ornamental plants through research, conservation, and display. The U.S. National Arboretum is a collections-based research facility and public garden of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 451 acres of rolling forested terrain, and expansive meadows. Nine miles of winding roadways and many more paths connect the gardens and natural areas across the grounds. The display gardens at the National Arboretum grew organically from our early research interests into specific plant groups and collaborations with garden clubs and plant societies into comprehensive collections focused on plant groups important to American landscapes and on important, botanically rich temperate flora. Examples of the latter include the Asian Collections, highlighting plants from China, Korea, and Japan, and Fern Valley, our collection of eastern North American native plants in a scenic woodland settling. Visitation is approximately 710,000 per year.

Duties & Responsibilities

The National Arboretum is a public garden facility. Interns will assist staff in the development and maintenance of the plant germplasm collections. Duties include general gardening tasks–including but not limited to weeding, planting, watering, mowing, mulching–and assisting staff with updating plant records and labels in collections. Internships will involve heavy lifting, repetitive tasks, and exposure to extreme heat, humidity, and/or cold.

Education and Experience

Applicants need to have either completed course work or have acquired practical experience in horticulture or a related field. Basic gardening skill, interest in plants, and the ability to work independently are essential. Applicants must be US citizens. We are unable to make exceptions.

Application Instructions

Send a cover letter indicating availability and interest areas, resume, the names of three references, and transcripts (unofficial are acceptable) to USNA.Internships@usda.gov. Questions? Contact the internship office at USNA.Internships@usda.gov or 202-245-4563.