University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley The UC Botanical Garden is a living museum open to the public featuring a diverse plant collection
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Our mission is to develop and maintain a diverse living collection of plants, to support teaching and worldwide research in plant biology, further the conservation of plant diversity, and promote public understanding and appreciation of plants and the natural environment.

Fantastic Negrito--Second concert this Friday, September 4, 5:30–7:00 pm(Gates open at 5:00 pm)Cost: $55–$75Purchase tic...
08/31/2026

Fantastic Negrito--Second concert this Friday, September 4, 5:30–7:00 pm
(Gates open at 5:00 pm)
Cost: $55–$75
Purchase tickets: https://ow.ly/30YR50ZHuMT

Experience an unforgettable evening beneath the redwoods with Fantastic Negrito! Set within one of the Bay Area’s most beautiful outdoor venues, this intimate performance will showcase the Grammy-winning artist’s electrifying blend of blues, soul, rock, and funk in a uniquely immersive natural setting.

Known for his dynamic stage presence and emotionally charged performances, Fantastic Negrito transforms live music into a joyful, deeply human experience, making the Redwood Grove the perfect backdrop for an incredible evening.

Fantastic Negrito is the three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning project of Oakland artist Xavier Dphrepaulezz. Blending blues, rock, soul, funk, and roots music into a sound entirely his own, Fantastic Negrito has built a global following through deeply human storytelling, explosive live performances, and fearless originality. His music explores themes of resilience, family, struggle, and celebration, drawing from a life marked by extraordinary highs and lows.

Begonia formosana is blooming now in the Asia Collection (bed 235), peeking out from under its large leaves. Native to T...
08/29/2026

Begonia formosana is blooming now in the Asia Collection (bed 235), peeking out from under its large leaves. Native to Taiwan, it thrives in moist, shady areas.

We're excited to see the Euryale ferox thriving in the Virginia Haldan Tropical House pond! Can you spot the new growth ...
08/22/2026

We're excited to see the Euryale ferox thriving in the Virginia Haldan Tropical House pond!

Can you spot the new growth peeping out between its unusual leaves? The Gorgon plant or prickly waterlily is the ugly cousin of Victoria, the giant water lily of the amazon, and named after one of the three gorgon sisters from mythology. Rightly so, since the plant is fascinatingly ugly, covered with spines, and with large ‘quilted’ floating leaves reaching almost a meter across. This perennial aquatic flowering plant is cultivated for its nutritious seeds in its native eastern and southeastern Asia.

Erica verticillata is flowering now at the Garden, in the Southern African Area, bed 144. It stands as proof that botani...
08/22/2026

Erica verticillata is flowering now at the Garden, in the Southern African Area, bed 144. It stands as proof that botanical gardens and botanists can save a species from extinction.

Once thought to be extinct in the wild, E. verticillata managed to claw its way back from the brink of extinction thanks to a few dedicated botanical gardens and passionate collectors and botanists around the world who kept living collections alive. Today, it has become one of South Africa’s most important flagship species, serving as a high-profile symbol that draws attention to the plight of threatened species and the urgent need for conservation and habitat protection.

It's native to the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Check it out soon!

Coning for the first time! This male Welwitschia mirabilis, accessioned into the Garden in 1989, is coning for the first...
08/12/2026

Coning for the first time! This male Welwitschia mirabilis, accessioned into the Garden in 1989, is coning for the first time, and loaded with pollen! Located in the main room of the Arid House.

Welwitschia mirabilis, native to the Namib Desert on the western coast of Africa, is known for having only two leaves that grow continuously throughout its life. It survives in its extremely arid environment by taking in moisture from coastal fog through microscopic hairs on its leaves. It is a gymnosperm, meaning it reproduces using cones rather than flowers, on separate male and female plants. They are considered one of the longest-living plants on Earth, with some individuals being thousands of years old!

Check it out on your next visit to the Garden!

We enjoyed hosting the California Garden and Landscape History Society at the Garden recently for a presentation and tou...
08/10/2026

We enjoyed hosting the California Garden and Landscape History Society at the Garden recently for a presentation and tour of the collections!

If you haven't stepped inside the Arid House recently, you're in for a treat! Several plants are currently in bloom, in...
08/07/2026

If you haven't stepped inside the Arid House recently, you're in for a treat! Several plants are currently in bloom, including Adenium obesum ssp. Boehmianum with its bright pink flowers. Native to Namibia and Angola, this unusual plant has been part of the Garden’s collection since 1953!

Definitely not a tree you want to hug! Native to South America, the floss-silk tree (Ceiba speciosa) features a trunk an...
08/01/2026

Definitely not a tree you want to hug!

Native to South America, the floss-silk tree (Ceiba speciosa) features a trunk and limbs covered with large, sharp, conical thorns. This natural defense mechanism deters tree-climbing fauna from chewing on the bark. In younger trees, the trunk is a vibrant green due to the high concentration of chlorophyll, enabling the tree to perform photosynthesis even when devoid of foliage. It typically blooms in September with white-pink flowers that attract pollinators and hummingbirds. After flowering its fruit develops into long oval capsules that contain black seeds surrounded by fluffy matter similar to cotton or silk.

Check it out in bed 650 in the South American area!

Explore the vibrant plants of our South America collection. This month brings a spectacular display of colors, textures,...
07/25/2026

Explore the vibrant plants of our South America collection. This month brings a spectacular display of colors, textures, and blossoms to this unique area!

It's hard to miss the bright pink flowers of Banana Passion Fruit (Passiflora mollissima) in bed 651. Its climbing vines can reach 20-25 feet in length!

Head over to Bed 654 to experience the sweet fragrance of Sinningia tubiflora. This tuberous, mound-forming perennial is native to Argentina.

We look forward to seeing you in the Garden!

You never know what you might find at the end of the path! Solandra brachycalyx is blooming in the Mexico Central Americ...
07/22/2026

You never know what you might find at the end of the path! Solandra brachycalyx is blooming in the Mexico Central American collection, bed 348. Keep an eye out for its large trumpet-shaped flowers. To get there, take the path behind the Virginia Haldan Tropical House and go down the slight hill. Look for the large bush on the right!

Address

200 Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA
94720

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(510)6432755

Website

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