The Gardens

The Arboretum & Botanic Garden maintains collections of rare and threatened plants of unusual scientific interest. Particular specialties are world conifers, primitive angiosperms, and bulb-forming plant families. Large assemblages of plants from California natives, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand are displayed on the grounds. Many of the species in these collections are not otherwise available for study in American botanical gardens and arboreta. More...

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California / Australia / South Africa / New Zealand

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  California Natives, the entrance garden

  Over the past decade California gardeners have been eager to find ways to lower their water-use and attract native wildlife to the garden, while still maintaining attractive landscapes. One of the best ways to do this is to use plants native to California, and many local gardeners have found inspiration in the Garden's California collection. More ...
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  The Australian Garden

  The Garden's outstanding Australian collection celebrates the diversity of the Australian continent which stretches northward into the tropics and southward into the path of the rain-bearing westerlies, encompassing habitats as diverse as rainforest, heathland, and desert. More ...
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  The South African Garden

  For the flower aficionado the name South Africa must immediately bring to mind the fabulous Protea. In mid-winter, when the proteas reach their peak bloom, a visit to the South African Garden is a trip to a magical paradise of almost unearthly beauty. More ...

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  The New Zealand Garden

  The Edward D. Landels New Zealand Garden was dedicated in 1984 in order to bring this unique flora to the attention of residents of the opposite hemisphere. Many unusual and fantastic plants await the visitor, their odd forms revealing much about the forces that shaped their evolution. More...

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Other Gardens and Collections

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  Aroma and Succulent Gardens

  Filled with the heady aromas of many mint family members not to mention innumerable bees and butterflies, the Aroma and Succulent Gardens sit across from Norrie's Gift Shop. More..
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  Butterfly Garden

  Adjacent to the California Entrance Garden and to the left of the path leading to the New Zealand area, you'll discover the first evidence of the formation and planting of the new Butterfly Garden based on California native plants, small and modest at the moment, but holding promise of greater things to come. More..
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  The Eucalyptus Grove

  The Grove, among the first areas planted in the Arboretum & Botanic Garden, consists largely of specimens donated by Max Watson, an admirer of the genus.  More..
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  The California Province Garden

  Plans and maps, plus more information about the California Province Garden.
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  Conifers

  Though potentially of great scientific interest, conifers, as a group, are not well studied. More..