Director of Horticulture and Facilities

“Do not think you need a 4-year degree. Although they can be very beneficial and open doors, don't overlook trade schools and on-the-job training!”

Jacob Stidham is the Director of Horticulture and Facilities at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens and has been in his post since 2018, working as the Nursery and Greenhouse Manager before that. Growing up, Jacob played and worked in his parents’ garden. He fell in love with horticulture at a young age and went on to study Landscape Horticulture and Design at Purdue University.

Jacob’s daily duties consist of helping guide the Greenhouse and nursery, Gardens and arboretum, and Buildings and grounds teams and providing them with the tools and resources needed to make their departments function and grow. Without a doubt, his favorite part of the job is being able to work with plants and help connect people to those plants.

If Jacob could’ve done anything differently, he says he would’ve taken advantage of more internship/educational opportunities in college.