Black-eyed Susans and pansies and tulips, oh my! Flowers are abundant on UW–Madison’s campus, but there isn’t one variety that appears more often than others. In fact, when choosing what to plant on campus, variety is the name of the game. Each year, the UW’s greenhouse team and the Division of Facilities Planning and Management’s Physical Plant grow more than 30,000 annuals. If you want to see the largest mass of flowers on campus, head over to the Humanities Building in the summer. There, you’ll find one of campus’s most eye-catching Ws on display: a red-and-white floral arrangement of begonias or vinca, depending on the year. From pansies, violas, and snapdragons in the spring to assorted bulbs and mums in the fall, each bloom is chosen for its beauty and utility. A diverse selection of site-appropriate trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals not only enhances campus’s aesthetic appeal, but it also supports ongoing biodiversity efforts. In addition to their annual plantings, several campus groups have collaborated with Physical Plant and the grounds crew to create specialized, low-mow pollinator habitats to attract and sustain bees and butterflies and to employ sustainable practices such as using organic fertilizers and implementing water-conservation methods. Though you won’t find a plethora of one type of petal, you will find an assortment of vibrant blooms that contribute to an equally beautiful and biodiverse campus environment.