Arboretum
at the University of California, Santa Cruz
The Arboretum exhibition is grouped according to geographic
origin. Its Australian collection, the largest outside of that
country, boasts over 2,000 species of shrubs. The New Zealand
group features manuka, flax and Pittosporum trees. South Africa’s
protea are a feast for the eye and California’s own low-water
tolerant natives are an inspiration.
The
Arboretum is open each day from 9 am to 5 pm. (Closed only on
Thanksgiving and Christmas.) See website for admission fees.
Balboa Park
Gardens
This urban park, a huge tourist attraction in San Diego, features
hundreds of tree species, several theme and regional gardens,
a conservatory botanical building, and a children's ethno botany
garden. It is advisable to make the Visitors Center your first
stop in Balboa Park for information on how to plan your day.
Their
fully staffed information center is open daily from 9:30 am
- 4:30 pm with extended summer hours, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, beginning
on June 26 and ending September 6. See website for admission
fees.
Blake
Garden
This
estate garden at the official residence of the Chancellor of
the University of California, is located in Kensington. Sections
include a greenhouse, a Mediterranean garden, herb garden, and
formal garden. This garden covers 10.9 acres and in Spring and
Autumn it is at its best.
It
is open Mon-Fri 8 am to 4:30 pm, (closed Thanksgiving Day, December
25 January 1, Saturday, Sunday, & University holidays).
Free Admission.
Conejo
Valley Botanic Gardens
Located
in the terrain of Thousand Oaks, these gardens offer panoramic
views of the Conejo Valley. While a significant portion of the
Garden’s acreage is reserved to provide a natural habitat
for birds and small animals, the developed area of the Garden
includes displays of water-conserving plants from California,
the Mediterranean, and Australia as well as several specialty
gardens.
Operation
hours: 7 am to 7 pm April - September 7 am to 5 pm October -
March. Kids' Adventure Garden is open Sundays, 11am-3pm. See
website for admission fees.
Botanic
Garden, Tilden
Situated in Tilden Regional Park's beautiful Wildcat Canyon
in the heart of the north Berkeley Hills, the Regional Parks
Botanic Garden is devoted to the collection, growth, display,
and preservation of the native plants of California. The state
is a vast region of many clearly defined floral areas, such
as seacoast bluffs and coastal mountains, interior valleys,
arid foothills, alpine zones, and two kinds of desert.
Operation
hours: Oct. 1 to May 31: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. June 1 to Sept. 30:
8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and
Christmas. See website for admission fees.
Fullerton
Arboretum
The
Fullerton Arboretum, a 26-acre botanical garden with an ecologically
arranged collection of plants from around the world, is located
on the Fuller Campus of the California State University. The
Arboretum serves the community as a resource for ecological,
horticultural, and historical education. The beautiful grounds
offer visitors a peaceful garden setting in the midst of our
urban area.
The
Arboretum is open daily from 8:00 am to 4:45 pm, except New
Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Donations appreciated
at the gate. There is an admission charge at special events.
Huntington
Botanical Gardens
These
gardens in San Marino with its150 acres comprised of sweeping
lawns and vistas interspersed with statuary, tempiettos, and
benches, include specialised gardens, theme areas, and impressive
collections from other countries. Visit their website for operational
times and admission charges.
The
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Located in Arcadia the Arboretum's mission is to cultivate their
natural, horticultural and historic resources for learning,
enjoyment and inspiration.
Open
daily from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; admission closes at 4:30 pm. Admission
is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors (62 and over), $5 for students
with ID, and $2.50 for children 5- 12. Children under 5 are
admitted free. Parking is free.
Mendocino
Coast Botanical Gardens
The
only public garden in the continental United States fronted
directly on the ocean, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens offers
everything from colorful displays to thunderous waves. The mild
maritime climate makes it a garden for all seasons that includes
manicured formal gardens and diverse plant collections such
as woodland, perennial, rhododendron, dahlia, and camellia gardens,
a fern canyon, and a Pacifica iris collection, and much more.
Visit their website for operational times and admission charges.
Mildred
E Mathias Botanical Gardens
Located
on the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) campus,
this garden maintains a large botanical collection, with plant
specimens from all over the world, including tropical and subtropical
plants. Operational hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday
(winter closing 4 pm) 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday
Admission free.
Quail
Botanical Gardens
Located
in Encinitas (north of San Diego), the gardens feature rare
bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California
native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, and a subtropical
fruit garden.
Hours:
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
New Years Day. See website for admission fees
Rancho
Ana Botanic Garden
Located
in Claremont, California, the Garden is home to 70,000 native
Californian plants, representing 2,000 native species, hybrids
and cultivars. The Garden houses a large collection of Manzanitas
that flower from late November through early March. Throughout
the peak blooming season of March and April, spring wildflowers,
perennials, and shrubs bloom in waves of riotous color. The
collection of California Wild Lilacs (Ceanothus) grows in perfusion
in early spring. Summer and fall months provide a more subtle
color and texture to the Botanic Garden when native fruit and
seed ripen.
See
website for operation times and admission fees.
San
Francisco Botanical Garden
These
Mediterranean gardens at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park
enjoy a mild Mediterranean climate and provide the San Francisco
Botanical Garden the right conditions to grow and conserve plants
from all over the world.
The
Garden is open daily, 365 days a year. Weekdays, 8 am to 4:30
pm. Weekends & holidays, 10 am to 5 pm. See website for
admission fees.
San
Luis Obispo Botanical Garden
Located
on Highway 1 in El Chorro Regional Park, between San Luis Obispo
and Morro Bay, this Botanical garden is devoted to the display
and study of the plants and ecosystems of the world's five Mediterranean
climate zones. The Preview Garden is open during daylight hours
and admission is free. Parking is available at the Garden and
costs $2. See website for further details.
Santa
Barbara Botanic Garden
Located on 65 acres in historic Mission Canyon, this garden
features over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous plants. The
SBBG is a place of beauty and serenity, of education, research
and conservation, of history and stewardship. It also offers
exhibits of California native plants set in beautifully designed
landscapes.
Visiting
times: March - October: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. November - February:
9:00 am. to 5:00 pm. See website for admission fees.
South
Coast Botanic Garden
Located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Los Angeles, among
this garden's distinct areas are the Japanese Garden, Herb Garden,
English Rose Garden, Cactus Garden and Garden of the Senses.
Some of the more diverse plants include flowering fruit trees,
redwoods, ginkgoes and pittosporum.
Open
daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit website for admission fees.
The
University of California Botanical Garden Berkeley
This
botanical garden at the UC Berkeley campus in Strawberry Canyon
features one of the most diverse plant collections in the United
States and is famous for its rare and endangered species. The
garden's 34 acres contain over 12,000 different kinds of plants
from all over the world arranged by region. Visit their website
for operational times and admission fees.
University of California Riverside Botanic Gardens
The
garden is located on the Covershilly terrain along the eastern
boundary of the U.C. Riverside campus, in the foothills of the
Box Springs Mountains. Natural features include two 40 hilly
acres of scenic trails, specialty gardens, and geographical
collections such as South Africa Southwest Deserts, Section
Sierra Foothills Section Boysie Day Baja Califorinia Garden,
Australian Section and Temperate Deciduous Forest.
Open
daily from 8 am. to 5 pm Closed New Year's Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving
Day and Christmas Day. The Gardens is also closed one day each
year in spring to visitors without event tickets for the ãPrimavera
in the Gardens" wine and food tasting (Sunday, May 21 for
2006). Visit website for admission charges.
Wrigley
Memorial & Botanical Gardens
This
Catalina Island garden features plants endemic to the island.
Plant profiles, information about the conservancy and interpretive
center.
Hours:
open daily from 8 am to 5 pm year round. Adult admission is
$5; children under 12 are free.
