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EIU The Whiteside Garden

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This showpiece garden covers
5 acres and contains thousands
of varieties of beautiful and unusual plants.

In 1963, Dr. Wesley (Wes) Whiteside began transforming 5 acres of former farmland into a diverse botanical garden that has become a true treasure for east-central Illinois.

Though he retired from Eastern Illinois University’s Botany Department in 1987, Dr. Whiteside continued to nurture and develop his garden, drawing many visitors to view his collections, which are unmatched in the region in both beauty and historical significance. Featured collections include daylilies (over 600 cultivars), magnolias (all of the Native USA species native as well as dozens of other species and cultivars), carnivorous plants (sundews, venus flytraps, and all of the native USA pitcher plants as well as many hybrids), hostas, and hollies.

The Whiteside Garden is unmatched as a local botanical resource for education and research. To ensure that The Whiteside Garden’s unique botanical, cultural and historical offerings are preserved and maintained for current and future generations, Dr, Whiteside asked EIU to develop his garden as a self-sustaining resource for education, research and outreach. In 2018, EIU entered into a formal partnership with the Douglas-Hart Foundation (dhnc.org) to support Dr. Whiteside’s vision for his garden into the future.

It was Dr. Whiteside’s wish that his garden support faculty and student education and research. To that end, EIU provides student internship programs as well as grants for research projects and equipment.



Internship and Research Opportunities

Internships

When possible, we will offer paid internships for EIU students to work at The Whiteside Garden. Eligible students will have a general interest in topics such as horticulture, botanical research, plant-animal interactions, or environmental education/tourism. Internships will consist of a combination of project-based activity and learning and performing horticulture skills. Most internships will take place during the summer and will require a sponsor (e.g. EIU faculty member or DHNC staff), with specific dates to be determined. Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible.

Applications for an EIU Internship at the Whiteside Garden will be due in early spring each year. For more information, specific due dates, and an application form, please contact the Department of Biological Sciences.

Research & Creative Activity

EIU will provide grants of two types for botanical research in a broad sense (i.e. including horticulture, plant genetics, plant-animal interactions, etc.) that is conducted at least partly at The Whiteside Garden. Research Grants are for EIU students and faculty and have a maximum budget of $1000. Research Equipment Grants are for EIU faculty and provide funds for larger, more permanent research items. For specific requirements and eligibility for both of these grants, please contact the Department of Biological Sciences for more information.



Related Pages

Biological Sciences Douglas-Hart Nature Center

Contact Information

Department of Biological Sciences

Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL. 61912
(217) 581-3126
biosci@eiu.edu


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