A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
For the first time since International Horticultural Expos officially began in 1960, the United States of America will take its place among the nations of the world at this landmark event. GREENxEXPO 2027 runs for six months in Yokohama, Japan, and is expected to welcome more than 15 million visitors from across the globe.
The expo takes place on nearly 600 acres — the former site of a U.S. Navy communications facility — now being transformed into a living, breathing exhibition of sustainability, beauty, peace, and renewal. For the United States, participating in this expo for the first time is a profound statement: a commitment to deepening U.S.–Japan friendship through the universal language of plants and gardens.
This is public horticulture’s moment on the world stage.
The U.S. entry is led by the United States Botanic Garden in collaboration with the American Public Gardens Association, with support from the U.S. Departments of State and Agriculture and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
The U.S. Exhibit: The Pursuit of Happiness
The United States exhibit takes visitors on an immersive journey through the extraordinary breadth of American landscapes, native plants, and public garden traditions — a living expression of what it means to pursue happiness through nature. In many ways, it’s the great American road trip reimagined: not miles of highway, but a winding path through the places and plants that make this country extraordinary.
Landscape design by GGN, Seattle, WA
Guests begin at the Welcome Center, a shaded arrival space featuring lush tropical plantings from Hawaiʻi and Guam, where they’ll learn what lies ahead. From there, a meandering path winds through six distinct American bioregions:
- Desert bioregion – US Southwest
- Steppe Bioregion – US Intermountain West
- Great Plains Bioregion – US Midwest
- Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forest Bioregion – US Southeast & Mid-Atlantic
- Coniferous Forest Bioregion – US Pacific Northwest
Along the way, scenic overlooks, comfortable seating areas, and interactive learning elements invite visitors to slow down and connect. Interpretive signage and artwork from well-known American artists are woven throughout the landscape, deepening the experience at every turn.
The journey’s final destination is the Community Gathering and Reflection Space — a place to pause, take in the full tapestry of the American landscape, and connect with the communities and institutions that tend it. This space also serves as a cultural and diplomatic hub, hosting programs where U.S. and Japanese experts collaborate on conservation, horticultural innovation, and the role of gardens in human well-being.
Rooted in the belief that nature nurtures happiness, the exhibit illuminates the essential role plants and green spaces play in cultivating both personal and collective joy — a message as universal as the American ideal that inspired its name.
Help us to represent YOUR garden within the Exhibit through interpretation and digital content.
We need your garden to be a stop on this journey! You don’t have to travel across the globe to be part of this historic event. We are calling on all public gardens to submit their most stunning photos and captivating videos to be featured digitally and physically throughout the U.S. exhibit. This is your chance to showcase your garden’s unique beauty, your dedicated staff, and your community impact to millions of international visitors. Let’s show the world what U.S. public gardens are all about!
Applications are open now. Content will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Application Deadline: July 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT
Informational Webinar: June 25, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EDT | Register Here
Programming at the Exhibit
Throughout the six-month expo, the U.S. exhibit will come alive with educational experiences and cultural events, led by public gardens and institutions from across the country. Four program formats will anchor the calendar:
How Your Garden Can Get Involved
There are several ways for public gardens to be part of this historic initiative — whether through programming, visiting, or helping bring this vision to life. The following are the current opportunities available. More to come!
Who’s Leading This Effort
A steering committee of senior public garden leaders — alongside four specialized subcommittees — is guiding every aspect of the U.S. exhibit, from design and plant selection to programming and development.
Steering Committee
Susan Pell (Co-Chair) Executive Director, United States Botanic Garden
Ari Novy (Co-Chair) Elizabeth Newman Wilds Executive Director, Cornell Botanic Gardens
Bruce Harkey Executive Director, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Michelle Provaznik CEO, American Public Gardens Association
Paul Redman Executive Director & CEO, Longwood Gardens
Plus a representative from the U.S. Department of State Expo Unit
Government Leadership
Commissioner General: Mrs. Mary Glass, wife of U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass
Commissioner of Section: Mr. Thomas E. Austin, Architect of the Capitol
Subcommittee Chairs
Design Committee Jamie Maslyn Larson, Tohono Chul
Plant Selection Subcommittee Phillip Douglas, Denver Botanic Garden
Programs Committee Amy Padolf, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Development Committee (Co-Chairs) Ari Novy, Cornell Botanic Gardens & Michelle Provaznik, American Public Gardens Association
More than a dozen additional public garden representatives from across the United States serve on the committees.
About GREENxEXPO 2027
The 2027 International Horticultural Expo is an A1-class international exhibition, held with the approval of the Association Internationale des Producteurs de l’Horticulture (AIPH) and recognition from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). Convening nations every two to six years, International Horticultural Expos promote horticulture and landscaping on a global scale, fostering lives enriched by plants and nature.
The 2027 expo’s theme is “Scenery of the Future for Happiness: Creating a Sustainable Society in Harmony with Nature.” The U.S. exhibit theme — The Pursuit of Happiness — reflects both the universal aspirations of this event and the distinctly American belief that the natural world is foundational to a good life.
Learn more at expo2027yokohama.or.jp →
Visit the USBG’s Expo 2027 page at USBG.gov/Expo2027 →
Don’t Miss What’s Next
Whether you’re ready to submit digital content, curious about bringing your community to Yokohama, or looking for ways to support this historic initiative — we want to hear from you.
Questions about supporting or sponsoring the U.S. exhibit? Contact Michelle Provaznik, CEO at MProvaznik@publicgardens.org
