Garden Trip: Berkeley Botanical Garden

I thought from time to time we’d look at gardens you can visit. I’ve visited many public gardens and one of my favorite gardens so far is the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley.

Location: 200 Centennial Drive #5045 Berkeley, CA 94720-5045 – I suggest taking a bus up to the gardens, which are sort of above the school. If you’re in San Francisco, you can take the BART to Berkeley first (what I did).

Cost: Free for kids under 5 years; $2 kids under 12 years; $7 adults; $5 teens and seniors.

Open: Most of the year but closed on Tuesdays.

When to go: I think I went during the spring, and there were plenty of flowers blooming, and the weather was perfect. However, it’s Berkeley, so really, the weather is going to be decent no matter when you visit. (I.e not torrid heat or snow usually).

What’s offered…

The Berkeley gardens are really neat because they’re so high above the city and you have a great view of the Bay. On a clear day you can actually see San Francisco framed in the trees and it’s amazing. Not only are you at a gorgeous  garden, but one with panoramic views.

The Botanical Garden is like a living museum and features one of the most diverse plant collections in the United States. Established in 1890, the garden covers 34 acres and is broken up into regions which is awesome – i.e. Asia, Australasia, California, Eastern North America, Mediterranean, Mexico/Central America, New World Desert, and so on. Check out the map below to see how big it is…

There are over 12,000 different kinds of plants to see and trust me you will not be bored. Nearly all specimens in the garden have been brought in from the wild and it’s an educational adventure to see these plants. Place of origin records are kept and each accession features a public display label including accession number, family name, scientific name, and place of origin, and where appropriate, common name.

Tours are offered, weddings can be booked, and you can purchase plants at their plant shop.

Other stuff to know:

There are some steeper paths, but most are well worn and there’s nothing too tricky. There are lots of places to stop for a rest (nice benches with views). I’d take a water bottle though, wear decent shoes, and plan for it to take a few hours at least. I was there most of the day.

Have you ever been to the Berkeley Gardens? What did you think?

Visit the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley website to learn more.

[image of garden view via me (Jennifer); map image via Berkeley Garden website]