UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

I've come here ever since I was a small child. I love it here! So many beautiful plants. I love hearing all the birds. Sometimes you see little families of quail walking around. It's peaceful and beautiful and just a great place to take a walk, take some pictures, read, picnic, sketch, etc. Love it here! And they do a free community day once a month. Definitely worth checking out!

A nice collection of plants from various Mediterranean climates. The succulents and the Australian collection were my favorites. I didn't pick up much scent in the "Fragrance Garden", but perhaps it was the wrong time of year. It was interesting to see how many varieties of Australian Banksia there were, all with oddly shaped large flowers. The geodesic domes from the 70's were also cool to peek inside. Also a nice place for a picnic, tables and benches are at various points throughout the garden.

An amazing array of exotic flora which pleases the eye yet sets you at ease in such a peaceful setting. I especially like the Aroma Garden, the visitor is guided into an inticing display of succulents, including agave and cacti with scents, colors and textures, all friendly and inviting. I went with a friend and we enjoyed the serene atmosphere of the New Zealand section, saw a few Alligator lizards, rabbits and birds. Overall it was a fun experience and I will definitely be back to do it again.

The Arboretum is always a pleasant place to walk around. I'm a member and try to drop by every month or so to see what's blooming. The main areas feature plants and trees from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. There's also a nice succulent garden from which you can get a view of the Monterey Bay.

A marvellous arboretum. So many splendid things to see everywhere. It's a shame that I've lived in the Bay Area for 30 years and only visited it for the first time this month. I spent 2 hours here and managed to see only half of it. Very well kept. Parking is easy and plentiful.

Great botanical gardens with amazing selection of Flora from Australia and New Zealand. Incredible displays of unusual and different plants you are unlikely to see elsewhere.

It's a great spot on campus that I visited with my son who is attending UCSC. The student entrance is free and it is a $10 entrance fee for adults. It is well laid out with a meandering layout for exploring and discovery. They had such unique plants from all over the world that you can purchase at their cute gift store. Everything is blooming right now, it is a good time to go!

This place is amazing. Very easy and the people are very kind. Tons of incredible plants from all over the world and some amazing spaces to walk around and explore. A must visit.

Love this place and its free first Tuesdays. Not your typical arboretum with a decidedly desert flair. New Zealand, Australian, South African, succulent/aroma, and California conservation gardens. Beautiful in their own right. Plenty of room to wander without being too big. Perfect for picnics. The future domes don’t do much but are cool looking. Plant and gift shop open limited hours. $5 admission and ample parking. Don’t miss your chance to ride the life-size slug or their plant sale!

I enjoyed have a walk with my family and become more familiar with different variety of plants, trees and flowers which categorize by origin. There is a $10 charge for adults $2 less for seniors. Parking available.

we always find something special in Santa Cruz. there are so many little magic quiet corners with this special Santa Cruz vibe. we loved this botanical garden! we accidentally stopped by and got the spring feeling 💚🌿🌸

We love dropping in here to wander through the gardens with plants from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the succulent garden!
The gift shop has plants and some gifty Knick knacks.
Bring a lunch and enjoy watching the bees and the hummingbirds. We saw a coyote on this visit too. (Photo below)

I was here on 9/21/2020.
There is no parking fee, and small fee to walk around the garden.
It has clean and very sanitized bathroom, a lot of benches to sit, and picnic tables.
They have few different gardens.
I really like succulent garden, and Australia garden.
They have one of the largest selections of Portea family from South Africa and Australia.
They are so big and huge plants.
Those flowers are super beautiful and still really healthy looking.
Those flowers very special, they are a smile from heaven.
I think I was a little late to enjoy those stunning flowers, but because of that I will come back again.

Great way to connect with planet energy without having to drive far to Yosemite or plan a big camping trip. It's close to shops, the boardwalk and things to do without a massive drive. I took great photos and it was so quiet.

A FANTASTIC experience. It was aittle difficult telling which zone you were in, but the little shop had an amazing selection, and the variety of plantlife in unparalleled. Very cool experience, and definitely recommend checking it out if you have a couple free hours. Just remember to bring that sunscreen!

Honestly one of the best Arboretums I have been to. The fact that it is on a university campus makes it all the better. The Australian garden and New Zealand gardens are the best. If you come during butterfly season you can see them in the eucalyptus grove. The staff here is extremely friendly and very willing to help you with any of your needs.

I went for the first time with my sister and we loved it. The arboretum is pretty big, it could take a few 2+ hrs to walk through it if you're really into plants. The staff is really friendly. Be aware the plant shop is only open for curbside pickup!

We loved the Australia area but found the New Zealand area wanting. The hummingbirds were great fun to watch.
I got hungry looking at the Egg and Bacon plant!

A fascinating collection of plants from several Mediterranean ecoregions of the world: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and coastal California. There is also an aroma garden, a succulent garden, a Pelargonium area, a California native garden, and a butterfly garden. Next to the gardens there is also a major conifer collection.

One of the most interesting features is a group of geodesic domes containing three "future gardens", with plant groupings repeating inside and out that are treated with varying watering regimes. The three experimental gardens are meant to represent possible future climatic conditions: extremely wet, extremely dry, and extremely oscillating. The plantings have been left mostly alone to observe which species survive, which die away, and which thrive. The plantings are repeated inside the domes and outside. Those inside are kept in a slightly warmer environment to stimulate warming temperatures. It's a very thoughtful experiment that has been underway for some decades.

Anyway, lots to see at any time of year. As a naturalistic garden, this place draws an abundance of wildlife, such as hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, squirrels, lizards, hawks, and more.

It is a very beautiful place, great to go for a walk and enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about being lost. The plants are gorgeous and the wild bunnies are abundant. There is also an adorable cat who greets people when they walk by the office. It is somewhere I will definitely go out of my way to visit again anytime I'm near Santa Cruz.