The Berkeley Botanical Garden

Perched high in  the hills above the UC Berkeley campus in Strawberry Canyon is the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley.  Once you’re up there it seems as though you are far removed from all but in fact,  the Memorial Stadium (go Bears!) is just a mere roll down the hill.  My friend Teri and I visited here on a glorious, sunny Friday last August and barely saw anyone the whole time we were touring this horticultural gem.   The expansive garden covers 34 acres and is home to one of the most diverse plant collections in the world.  I will take you around the garden exactly as we saw it.   

Let me take you on a tour of The Berkeley Botanical Garden

This is what we saw right after entering in – the South African & New World desert gardens

In the South African garden

I love this Aloe capitata var. quartziticola

The panorama of the Japanese pool in the Asian garden

A Hydrangea paniculata, or Pee Gee Hydrangea, along the path above the Japanese pool

In the garden of old roses

The hybrid tea rose “Sunset Celebration”, honoring Sunset Magazine’s 100th anniversary

Dahlias in the garden of old roses

Dahlia “Thistle”

 Dahlia “Thomas Edison”

A Monkey Puzzle Tree in the South American garden

Amaranth, one of the world’s  “super grains”, in the Old World garden

Bouvardia ternifolia, or Firecracker Bush or Hummingbird Flower, in the Mexico/Central American garden

Physostegia virginiana, or False Dragonhood, in the herb garden

Heading into the Asian garden

Leading into the California garden

Redwoods – our state tree

Hanging Haleconia in the tropical house

Look closer – there’s a little frog!

Hibiscus schizopetalus, or Coral Hibiscus, in the tropical house

Echinopsis terscheckii, or Argentine Saguaro, in the New World desert garden

Echinopsis lamprochlora, or Green torch, putting out a bloom in the New World desert garden

Weinsartia hediniana in the arid house

Pachypodium lameri, or Madagascar Palm,  in the arid house

Ceropegia ampliata, or bushman’s pipe or condom flower (interesting name!), in the arid house

This tiger flower was just outside the carnivorous plant house

These carnivorous plants, Sarrancenia flava var.ornata or yellow pitcher plants, are in a planter on wheels in the entry area

Here are a few things you might like to know before you go: there’s a parking lot across the street with a minimal charge,  a shuttle bus operates from the UC campus up to the garden and there’s no food to be found (except a few snackies in the gift shop) anywhere up there.  It’s a great place to picnic however.  I was considering assaulting some picnicers for their lunch but wisely decided against it.  We did have a yummy Thai lunch in one  of the many restaurants down below in the colorful and delightful town of Bezerkley.   It was a wonderful few hours spent at this glorious garden.

LINKS

http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/

Here are  previous posts from other botanic gardens in California I’ve visited that I thought you’d be interested in:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

The Pacific Coast Hybrids  

California Native Plant Week At The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden  

What’s In Bloom At The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden   

San Diego Botanic Garden

Plants And Sculpture At The San Diego Botanic Garden  

Topiaries And A Living Roof  

The Bamboo Garden At The San Diego Botanic Garden  

 

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