Disney in a Minute: What are Topiaries?

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

Topiary is the art of clipping trees or plants into odd or ornamental shapes. Topiary is certainly not unique to Walt Disney World, but they’re enough of a fixture at the parks and resorts that many guests associate topiary with Disney. My own most vivid memory of my first trip to Disney World as a child is of seeing character topiaries for the first time. Ten-year-old me could barely process that plants could be sculpted.

You can find topiaries at Disney World year-round, but their peak use is at the annual Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot. This year’s festivities begin on March 3. If you’re interested in seeing a variety of topiaries, that’s a great time to visit. The plants change every year, so even if you’ve been in the past, you’re likely to encounter something new with each Festival.

Here’s a tour of some we’ve seen over the years. Let us know if you have a favorite.