The Extraordinary Diversity of the Berkeley Botanical Garden

If you happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area and are in the mood to tour 34 acres of breathtaking floral variety, where should you go? If you said the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, then you are absolutely right. The garden, which is technically located in Oakland, overlooks the San Francisco Bay and offers visitors the chance to explore some 12,000 species and subspecies of plants from six continents. We’re especially fond of the extensive rhododendron collection from Asia and the Mediterranean collection, which includes plants from Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Syria, and Turkey.

From orchids and ferns to carnivorous plants and towering redwood trees, Berkeley Botanical Gardens has something for every nature lover. Docent-led tours are currently on pause, but in a two-hour visit, you can experience a majority of the entire collection of fragrant trees, herbs, flowers, and plants.

Address: 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720-5045