Horticulturists – Casual

National Tropical Botanical Garden; Hawaii; On-site; USD 26,491 - 31,161; Full time

Job summary

National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaiʻi seeks an experienced Horticulturist for our Lāwaʻi Gardens to support daily living collections management and help grow our tropical plant program.

The role requires experience in plant care, IPM, and operating motorized and hand tools, with occasional oversight of volunteers and visiting school groups as needed. Pay range is $19.23–$22.62 per hour.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in professional landscaping, plant care, and general horticulture activities.
• A strong understanding and appreciation of native plants, botanical garden standards, and conservation.
• Proficiency in using motorized landscaping machinery and handheld tools.
• A landscape industry certification, arborist certification, pesticide applicator license, or a relevant degree in horticulture/botany is highly desired.

Responsibilities

• Execute all aspects of professional horticulture management, including plant cultivation, irrigation maintenance, and IPM.
• Safely and effectively utilize a variety of motorized machinery and handheld landscape tools.
• Occasionally oversee volunteer teams and support visiting school groups.

Skills

Landscaping

Plant care

Horticulture

Education

Horticulture degree

Arborist certification

Pesticide applicator license

Job description

At NTBG, we are dedicated to a critical global mission: perpetuating tropical plants, ecosystems, and cultural heritage. Managing a network of five botanical gardens, preserves, and research facilities across Hawaiʻi and Florida, our team works to restore relationships between people, plants, and places.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Horticulturist to join our team at our Lāwaʻi Gardens. This role is essential to our daily living collections management and requires experience working in all aspects of horticulture activities including plant care, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), operating motorized and hands tools appropriately and the ability to oversee volunteers and school groups when needed.

Key areas of responsibility

• Collections Care: Execute all aspects of professional horticulture management, including plant cultivation, irrigation maintenance, and IPM.
• Equipment Operation: Safely and effectively utilize a variety of motorized machinery and handheld landscape tools.
• Community Engagement: Occasionally oversee volunteer teams and support visiting school groups.

Requirements

• Proven experience in professional landscaping, plant care, and general horticulture activities.
• A strong understanding and appreciation of native plants, botanical garden standards, and conservation.
• Proficiency in using motorized landscaping machinery and handheld tools.
• A landscape industry certification, arborist certification, pesticide applicator license, or a relevant degree in horticulture/botany is highly desired.

Pay Range: $19.23 – $22.62 per hour

This position is open until filled.

NTBG is an equal opportunity, equal access employer. A copy of NTBG’s Drug Free Workplace Policy can be found here .

Employment applications are accepted by email, mail, fax, or in person at the Garden’s national headquarters, unless otherwise indicated, at:

Applications may be submitted via email to [e-mail] in either Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. All jobs are posted or removed on a timely basis.