AUSTIN, TX – February 18, 2026 – The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center welcomes Kyle Cheesborough as its new director of gardens and collections, bringing his bold vision and a diverse set of horticulture and leadership experience to the Center.
Cheesborough joins the Center after four years as director of horticulture & facilities at Sherman Library and Gardens in Orange County, California, where he helped develop the grounds into a premier display garden. During his tenure, he collaborated with the U.S. Forest Service on research and conservation efforts focused on several native Mariposa lilies (Calochortus spp.) found in Southern and Central California.
Previously, Cheesborough led horticultural operations for the St. Louis Zoo, where he was able to bring an increased horticultural presence to the zoo’s visitor experience. Before that, he established the first-ever Horticulture Department at Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum, a historic 314-acre property in St. Louis. There, he guided Bellefontaine’s accreditation as a Level III Arboretum, championing successive tree planting and the use of native plants throughout its gardens and landscape.
“My time at Bellefontaine was transformative – not just for the gardens, but for me as well,” Cheesborough said. “It pushed me to think outside the traditional horticultural box, and that’s continued to impact my work.”
His experience also includes work at the Missouri Botanical Garden where he assisted on a field collecting trip to Siberia, as well as roles in retail nurseries and floral design. Cheesborough earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with an emphasis on Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Georgia.
“Kyle has a proven track record of transforming and elevating gardens and landscapes and his experience will directly inform and impact the gardens of the Wildflower Center over the coming seasons,” said Lee Clippard, Wildflower Center executive director. “We look forward to seeing Kyle’s hands at work – both literally and figuratively – at the Center.”
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For press inquiries, contact Scott Simons, director of marketing and communications.
About The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the State Botanic Garden & Arboretum of Texas and welcomes more than 276,000 guests annually to its 284 acres of gardens, trails and exhibitions, thus fulfilling its mission of inspiring the conservation of native plants. As a fully self-funded unit of The University of Texas at Austin, the Wildflower Center’s investments in science, conservation and education include a native seed bank, a comprehensive database of North American native plants, and research programs in collaboration with The University. The Center is the embodiment of Mrs. Johnson’s environmental legacy. “The environment is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest,” she said. “It is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.”
