Explore the Garden from the comfort of your home! Enjoy these videos walking through the collection, shot by Vanessa Handley, Director of Collections & Research.
Asia
This collection includes much of the Asian continent with the majority coming from temperate climate and subtropical areas of China, Japan, Korea, Siberia, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the Himalayas. Learn more
Australasia
Plants in this collection are native to New Zealand, the mediterranean-climate and subtropical regions of Australia, and the high elevations of the South Pacific islands. Learn more
California
California is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, with more plant diversity than any other US state; about a third of the country’s plant diversity is found in California. Learn more
Deserts of the Americas
Many of the specimens in this collection includes desert plants from the southwestern United States, Mexico, and as far south as Chile and Argentina. Several beds feature plants from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Learn more
Eastern North America
Plants in this collection occur east of the Mississippi, from the Canadian provinces through the Gulf states. They represent mixed coniferous-deciduous forest communities, meadows and prairies. Learn more
Herb Garden
This Herb Garden displays traditionally inspired plantings, as well as sections divided according to the primary use of each herb. The collection features rare and unusual plants along with the familiar that provide food, flavorings, fragrances, teas, medicines, dyes, wine, beer, and liquors. Learn more
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean area evokes the feeling of climbing the rocky slopes of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. In this region, the meeting of three continents—Europe, Africa, and Asia—results in a particularly diverse flora. Learn more
Mexico & Central America
This collection is representative of plants from the Sierra Madre mountain ranges of Mexico south to the higher elevations of Central America. Two major plant communities are represented: pine-oak woodland and cloud forest. Learn more
South America
Plants from the South American continent—ranging from the mountain highlands of the Andes to southernmost Argentina and Chile, and associated islands—are featured in twenty-five beds on nearly two acres. Learn more
Southern Africa
The Southern African Area includes plants from South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, and Namibia. The range of microhabitats created by topography and climate fosters this plant diversity. Learn more
Support the UC Botanical Garden
Through the curation of living, breathing plants, your tax-deductible generosity enables our horticulturists to care for one of the country’s most diverse plant collections, with well over 10,000 taxa including many rare and endangered species. Your gift also supports our conservation efforts focused on native California flora: field research, seedbanking, outplanting, and restoration. Support to the Garden allows us to continue our educational programming, camps and field trips for children of all ages, musical concerts amongst the Redwood trees, workshops on ethnobotanical practices, and so much more.