Spectacular floral displays highlighting an area’s natural beauty, educational opportunities for visitors to learn about local flora, and introductions to unusual or distinctive plant life all make a botanical garden shine. Visitors and locals visit them year-round all over the world. But our fascination with gorgeous gardens is no surprise because they allow us to stroll through a conservatory filled with butterfly-enticing plants or contemplate the borders of a lovely stone walkway as we wind our way through a forest of trees.
These stunning floral displays make visiting the world’s most beautiful botanical gardens a must for your next trip.
1. Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
This USD$1 billion botanical garden is in a class by itself. The Gardens boast several unique features. Firstly, they include a large flower dome that mimics the arid Mediterranean climate. Next, there’s a waterfall located in the Cloud Forest. This addition enhances the natural and tranquil atmosphere of the Gardens. An elevated skyway further enhances the experience. It is suspended between two Supertrees, providing a perfect vantage point. From here, visitors can view the three gardens that constitute this futuristic botanical garden. This view is not only breathtaking but also surprising, and visiting the Gardens is an unforgettable experience
2. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa
Kirstenbosch offers over 1,300 acres of wild and cultivated botanical gardens in Cape Town’s Table Mountain. This impressive garden includes formal gardens with winding pathways up the mountain, art gardens, and a statue garden, including a bust of Nelson Mandela. Life-size dinosaurs roam around the garden, bringing attention to South Africa’s nearly extinct beautiful cycad plants. Kirstenbosch offers many educational opportunities to learn about the unique plant and animal life that calls this southern tip of Africa home.
3. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, London
Home to the world’s most diverse and extensive botanic collection, the beloved Kew is a UNESCO World Heritage site only a short train ride from central London. The Kew’s Temperate House, the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, a Japanese landscape, the Great Broad Walk Borders, and the namesake Kew Palace all provide gorgeous views here. Still, the Arboretum, comprised of over 130 ha of botanical plantings and seminatural woodlands, is where the Kew began.
4. Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio’s botanical garden has enchanted guests for over 100 years with over 240 acres of rainforest, an orchidarium, and a Queen Victoria water-lily pond. Jardim Botânico, an oasis of flora and fauna, is conveniently located in the heart of the city near the iconic giant Jesus statue. Accessing it is a delight through the magnificent Isle of Palms Drive. Explore the traditional Japanese gardens and watch out for the over 140 species of exotic birds that call Jardim home.
5. Butchart Gardens, Vancouver Island, Canada
A gorgeous 55-acre park that began as a backyard project has blossomed into a year-round destination that guests can boat, seaplane, or drive to. Butchart’s hillside gardens feature a lovely rose garden and rose carousel for the littlest explorers to enjoy, as well as Japanese, Mediterranean, and Italian gardens, and the original location is now called the sunken garden. Dining at Butchart’s Blue Poppy restaurant in a former greenhouse is also a popular stop for visitors at this genteel botanical garden.
6. Saihō-ji, Kyoto, Japan
The 1,200-hundred-year-old Moss Temple at Saihoji is the standout here. The grounds of this unusual botanical garden are home to over 120 different species of moss. But this UNESCO site is also a religious destination, and Saihoji limits the number of visitors by requiring a letter of request for a reservation a few months ahead of time. Some of the favorite areas for guests to explore here are the central pond of the Ogon-chi garden, the Shonantei tea house, and the ancient rock garden style of the Karesansui area.
7. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kaua’i, Hawaii
As if the Hawaiian islands weren’t already impressive enough, the NTBG of Kauai ups the ante with its five botanical garden locations that honor the beauty and history of these stunning tropical islands. The Allerton Garden, the McBryde Garden, the Limahuli Garden, and the Preserve are found on Kauai, while the other two are scattered across the other islands. Allerton is located in the dramatic Lawaʻi Valley and has been the backdrop for many movies throughout the years. Nearby, McBryde provides visitors a peek into the lifecycles of Breadfruit and a walk along the Tree of Life Trail. Limahuli, on the island’s north shore, focuses on the ancient Hawaiians and the island’s botanical past.
8. Denver Botanic Garden, Colorado
One of the most visited gardens in the US, the Denver Botanic, proves that high elevation is no match for spectacular horticulture. This massive botanical garden is a popular destination year-round, offering six children’s areas and a robust music program. It also features many gardens, including 18 arid gardens and Japanese, Chinese, and South African gardens. Denver’s garden oasis is a magical sight with blooming ornamental gardens, including irises and other lovely varieties. Monet’s water garden further enhances its enchanting beauty.
9. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri
largest rare and endangered collection. In addition, this outstanding garden is home to the rainforest-themed Climatron, a geodesic dome conservatory. Furthermore, the Missouri Botanical Garden boasts the world’s oldest and continuously operating greenhouse. Known as the Linnean House, it opened its doors as an orangery in 1882. Guests here take the tram to learn about the displays around the sprawling property or savory a slow stroll through Seiwa-en, the Japanese garden dedicated to “pure, clear harmony and peace.”
10. National Botanical Garden, Washington DC
The National Botanical Garden, first proposed by President George Washington in 1820, has remained open continuously since 1850. This longevity began with the opening of its Victorian Conservatory building. Today, visitors can experience the First Ladies Water Garden and the Rose Garden in this compact, always-free garden. It is next door to the Capitol and nearby Smithsonian museums and features the beautiful Bartholdi Fountain.
11. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn Botanic Garden offers a quiet respite in bustling New York. The garden spans 52 acres and features meandering pathways that lead visitors around the Water Garden. They can also stroll down the Cherry Esplanade and enjoy the beautiful arbors of the Osborne Garden. Spring cherry blossoms bloom during the Sakura Matsuri Festival, lining the esplanade with explosions of color from the 70 trees here. They give way to summer roses while the fall’s herb orchards are awash with pumpkins and other seasonal foods in this urban sanctuary. Truly a year-round experience, this botanical garden also offers educational opportunities for budding naturalists of all ages.
12. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida
Sunny, warm Florida is the perfect venue for a botanical garden, and the Fairchild is a tropical oasis for lovers of flora and fauna found in such locales. Visitors here can encounter over 700 species of tropical trees and flowers in the Geiger Tropical Flower Garden, learn about how water impacts gardening with Fairchild’s 11 lakes and seven pools on the property, and take in the wonders of a tropical rainforest all without leaving the massive 83-acre garden.
13. San Francisco Botanical Garden, San Francisco, California
Adjacent to the Golden Gate Bridge, this beautiful botanical garden boasts an unusual succulent garden and a fantastic magnolia festival featuring over 200 varieties that bloom during January and February. A visit to San Francisco would not be complete without experiencing the majesty of a redwood forest. This botanical garden offers the opportunity to explore one, along with an Andean Cloud Forest and a Moon Viewing Garden. The Moon Viewing Garden is especially captivating, featuring authentic Japanese stone pagodas.
14. Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, Illinois
Not only can Chicagoans visit their botanical garden’s almost 400 acres of manicured and teaching green spaces, but they can also find farm-fresh food at markets around the city that were grown and cultivated there. Visits to this massive botanical garden can be facilitated with a tram ride, or guests can even bike around the vast property. The garden in Chicago serves as a living museum, emphasizing plant conservation research. However, many visitors are particularly drawn to the Sensory Garden, which delights with its multi-sensory approach to gardening.
15. Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon
This relatively small destination packs a punch with its authenticity. It offers gorgeous views of Mt. Hood, just a few miles from this hillside botanical garden. With a Japanese tea house hidden behind meandering walkways and across the Moon Bridge, a visit here is defined as tranquil. Guests love the Sand and Stone Garden near the Moon Gate, which instructs viewers on “the beauty of blank space.” The Strolling Pond Garden also leads visitors to Heavenly Falls across the Zig Zag Bridge. The Flat Garden’s weeping Cherry Blossom trees create a striking entrance to the Shoji-screened Pavilion Gallery, exemplifying the integration of garden and home in Japanese culture.
16. Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Dallas, Texas
The spring Dallas Blooms festival at the Arboretum is the largest in the southwest, with over 500,000 blooms making their yearly debut for wowed visitors. This 66-acre marvel sits on the shores of White Rock Lake, a verdant oasis that hosts regular music events, weddings, and seasonal activities. It is also known for the popular fall interactive pumpkin village, created with over 50,000 pumpkins. The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden offers a variety of gardens to explore. A Tasteful Place, an ornamental garden, provides daily samplings of on-site food. The Women’s Garden, featuring sculptures and water features, adds to the garden’s allure. The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a top destination to spend a day learning and admiring. Its brilliant blooms and dazzling garden design offer a captivating experience.
17. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert, California
A natural reserve, desert garden, and zoo make up the Living Desert, making it one of the more unusual botanical gardens you should visit. Stunning arid beauties like useful agave and adorably named Teddy Bear Cholla cactus share the property with endangered black rhinos, jaguars, and the desert tortoise. Perfect for anyone adventurous, the Living Desert’s nature preserves and three hiking loops provide an up-close experience through this fantastic arid landscape.
18. Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, Fort Worth, Texas
Almost a century old, the Ft. Worth Botanic Gardens are home to the acclaimed Japanese Gardens and a vast collection of rare orchids, a cactus garden, and the Native Texas Boardwalk that provides ideal viewing of local flora. The romantic Rose Garden is on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes the historic Shelter House overlooking four distinct rose gardens and the gurgling Reflection Pond with turtles and goldfish occupants.
19. Bellevue Botanical Garden, Bellevue, Washington
Situated on 53 acres, this botanical garden is in the heart of bustling Bellevue. However, once you enter the gates, you’d never know it due to the serene ambiance it offers. With winding walkways through acres of woodlands, wetlands, and meadows, Bellevue Botanical Garden provides eco-conscious surprises at every turn. The Waterwise Garden exemplifies the area’s attention to the nearby Puget Sound, while the Urban Meadow shows visitors native plantings and a Mason Bee exhibit. Visitors trekking the Lost Meadow Trail, a 1/3 mile loop, to experience the 150-foot suspension bridge in the Ravine Experience will be delighted to discover the lovely Night Blooming sculpture during their stroll.
20. Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal, Canada
The Montreal Botanical Garden is one of the world’s best gardening destinations. It boasts ten greenhouses, over 30 thematic gardens, and is home to over 22,000 plant species. As part of the city’s Space for Life, this botanical garden includes a First Nation Garden, focusing on the indigenous peoples and their connection to the earth, the Chinese Garden with stunning bridges crossing its Dream Lake, and the unusual Alpine Garden that explores mountaintop flora across the continent. The Food Garden is a popular attraction at the Montreal Botanical Garden. It is always bustling with visitors, drawn to its educational offerings. At the Montreal Botanical Garden, visitors can learn about plants that have played vital societal roles. These plants have contributed to food production, healing practices, and the creation of diverse products such as cosmetics and textiles.
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