UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Hidden location within the outskirts of Cal's campus. The parking lot across the street is not free (must pay using the kiosk or app) that fills up when busy. There is a Bear Transit shuttle (Hill Line) that runs from the BART (https://pt.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/hill_line_full_2017-18.pdf) that is another option if you have time to transit.The gardens are marvelous. Entry is free with a American Horticultural Society (SF Gardens of Golden Gate Park) membership with reciprocity. Many hidden benches to rest upon. There are hills to walk up. Trekking poles may be a good idea to bring, with your layers. Beautiful views of the Bay and clean restrooms are always handy dandy. Spend at least 2 hours of your time here. You will feel refreshed afterwards.

We came to the UC BG with our family. The trip here was designed for our grandchildren and this was a great spot to walk around with everyone for a while. It is a short ride from their home (and where we were staying) and there was plenty of parking [for a very nominal fee.]You enter through the main gates and immediately see the splendor of all the beautiful plants, flowers and trees. We were here in November so plants were at a minimum and did not venture into the greenhouses around.The trails they have set up are wonderful. For people who cannot climb steps there are plenty of places to walk and also plenty of benches around to relax around the nature. There was also a large field to relax in. The trails were set up by regions and the displays were perfect.I am looking forward to a return trip and as a photographer I look forward to all the great photo opportunities.

My friend (geochemist) and I (geophysicist) visited the Botanical Garden at the University of California, Berkeley in approximately 2017/2018 for one of its plant sales. She was really interested in getting a few plants for where she was living and was asking around and I was up for the event. We arrived a few minutes before the sale started, meaning we were there for the doors to open. As we were students, same Ph.D. department, our admission fee was zero dollars.I had expressed concern over my abilities to take care of a plant if I got one and she informed me that it was like a three-ingredient recipe - plant, water, and soil. Once the doors opened, we were off to see what we could find. Offerings were varied and she got a few items she put in a small cardboard box.In an indoor plants section, I found a few smaller items. Once of the succulents caught my eye, a South African variety with part of its named spelled Lokii. Since I had previously lived in South Africa and was 1/4 Old Norse and before (ancestors from north of modern day Bergen, Norway), I decided to purchase the plant. The botanical garden worker/volunteer in the section was friendly.Somewhere between me picking up the succulent, carrying it in its small square plastic container in my two hands, and finishing payment, someone informed me that the soil I would need for the succulent would need to be purchased elsewhere. We were fortunate to arrive and finish shopping when we did as the check-out/payment line was starting to get longer as we stood in line. The parking lot was crowded both on arrival and departure.While taking care of the succulent, I had a few questions come to mind that I was thinking about returning to the botanical garden to ask. However, I got the soil and/or watering wrong and the plant had died within a few weeks and before I could return to the garden.

Very nice park even in the winter. Staff is friendly and helpful. Loved the redwood grove. What a pleasant surprise. It was a little more noisy than I wanted with street and construction pollution.

Lovely experience. We just had 90 minutes and got a great feel of the area. Helpful staff. Beautiful views of bay and bridge.

Had a great time coming here on a beautiful weekend day! The garden is pretty big and the plants/trees are separated by region. I really enjoy the terrain, some of the pathways are flat and paved, others are hilly and up stairways, and some are dirt. Along with this, some areas are very cool and breezy and others are more open and warmer. It's just a very great place to walk around and get to experience the diverse plant/tree life on Earth.Plus, it's pretty big so it feels like you're there by yourself even though there are dozens of other people in the garden (only passed by other guests a few times) so it's a great place to relax and clear your mind.In terms of parking, there is ample parking at the lot across the street ($1.50/hr). I walked around the garden leisurely and was able to see everything in around 2.5 hours but there are a lot of benches and tables (and a grassy open area) so you could definitely stay for a lot longer. Definitely come here if you enjoy walks/nature/plants/trees!!!

My boyfriend took me here on a date a couple of months ago. It's a pretty large garden with plants and flowers from various countries/continents. They had a section that had palm trees from different regions that was interesting to see. I also liked the garden portion that had various Chinese herbs and different medicinal plants. They also have a tropical house that has a number of tropical flowers and plants. It's worth the visit. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes since some parts will have dirt paths and also slight inclines.

Came to my first wedding here, the Redwood Grove (where the ceremony transpired) and the botanical garden (where the reception transpired) is gorgeous and well decorated.The grove truly transports you to the heart of nature in the Bay Area. The garden is very well tended to and the greenery is breathtaking. As far as the reception building went, it did have a bit of a scent to it and there was enough space out on the deck, by the open bar, and in the dining room to intermingle with other guests. The garden has a set limit on guests (75 if I remember correctly) and a list of predetermined caterers, which makes planning a tad easier but also more inflexible (which is either relieving or frustrating, depending on your perspective on the guidelines). Definitely try to cover up and/or wear bug spray if that's your concern! We got a few bites here and there, but it does come with the territory of visiting such a diverse garden on a hot summer day.

Good place to cry your eyes out, talk about deep feelings, and picnic! If you're more of a botanist (I'm not) there are fun plants to really check out that are plain crazy looking! I love the Madagascar plants personally.During wet season there are NEWTS! They breed in the lake next to the Japanese section. There are also events and plant sales going on!EBT - $3 UC Berkeley student - Free

This gorgeous botanical garden is packed with an impressive diversity of plants from every continent except Antarctica. It was easy to navigate and the signage was quite good. I liked that there was a Chinese medicinal garden with descriptive uses of each plant, which is a unique feature I haven't seen at many other gardens. I spent about 1 hour appreciating the flora, but you could easily spend an additional hour if you really explore every little footpath. Only downside is that parking is not free.