Beautiful Private Botanical Gardens You Can Visit In California
California hides a secret world of lush pathways, rare blooms, and storybook landscapes tucked behind gates and hedges. Step inside these private botanical gardens and you will find tranquil koi ponds, citrus-scented air, and vibrant collections curated with passion.
Some sit on historic estates, others cling to coastal cliffs or bask in sunny valleys, each offering a dreamy escape from crowded parks and busy streets.
Stroll beneath towering palms, discover exotic orchids, and pause in shaded courtyards where hummingbirds dart past colorful petals.
These gardens feel intimate, almost magical, inviting you to slow down and savor every fragrance and texture.
Perfect for plant lovers, photographers, and anyone craving a peaceful afternoon, they reveal a softer, greener side of the Golden State that many travelers miss.
Ready to wander into a hidden paradise? Let curiosity lead the way through California’s most enchanting private garden retreats. You will not forget this escape.
Make sure to visit the official websites for each of these botanical gardens, where you can get the correct visiting hours and all the information you might need.
1. Sherman Library & Gardens – Corona del Mar
Tucked into the charming coastal village of Corona del Mar, the Sherman Library and Gardens is a jewel-box garden that packs an incredible amount of beauty into just 2.2 acres. Named after Moses H.
Sherman, a pioneering figure in the development of Southern California, this intimate private garden opened to the public in 1966 and has been delighting visitors with its tropical elegance ever since.
Orchids are among the garden’s most celebrated features, displayed in gorgeous arrangements throughout the property.
Tropical plantings create a lush, almost jungle-like atmosphere in certain sections, while carefully designed garden rooms offer quiet corners for reflection and photography.
The fuchsia collection is another standout, with cascading blooms that draw admiring gasps from visitors on warm California afternoons.
What truly sets Sherman Library and Gardens apart is its scale. Because it is small, every single planting feels intentional and curated, like flipping through the pages of a beautifully illustrated garden book.
Why do gardeners love this place? It shows that extraordinary garden design does not require enormous space, just vision, passion, and an eye for detail.
The garden is located at 2647 East Coast Highway, Corona del Mar.
2. Forestiere Underground Gardens – Fresno
What if someone told you that one of California’s most remarkable botanical gardens exists entirely underground? Baldassare Forestiere, a Sicilian immigrant who arrived in Fresno in 1901, spent over 40 years hand-carving a sprawling underground world beneath his property using only simple hand tools.
The result is a one-of-a-kind privately built underground garden that has no equal anywhere in the world.
Fruit trees, grapevines, and ornamental plants grow in open-sky courtyards carved beneath the surface, drawing sunlight through carefully positioned skylights and openings.
Citrus trees, quince, and mulberries thrive in this subterranean paradise, their roots anchored in the cool earth while their branches reach upward toward the light.
The clever design allowed Forestiere to escape the brutal San Joaquin Valley heat while still nurturing a thriving garden.
Guided tours are the only way to experience this underground marvel, and they are absolutely worth every minute. Why do gardeners love this place?
Because Forestiere Underground Gardens is a testament to what one person with a dream, a shovel, and a deep love of plants can accomplish against all odds. It is quirky, historic, and utterly fascinating.
The garden is located at 5021 West Shaw Avenue, Fresno.
3. San Diego Botanic Garden – Encinitas
Stretching across 37 acres in the coastal city of Encinitas, the San Diego Botanic Garden is a plant lover’s paradise packed with global diversity.
This privately operated nonprofit garden brings together tropical plants, towering bamboo groves, desert landscapes, and rare species collections under one spectacular outdoor roof.
It is genuinely one of the most varied botanical collections in all of California.
One of the garden’s standout features is its Hamilton Children’s Garden, one of the largest children’s gardens on the West Coast. Kids and adults alike are drawn to the interactive play areas, water features, and hands-on learning stations scattered throughout.
The bamboo grove is another crowd favorite, with some stalks growing so tall they form a swaying green tunnel overhead.
The desert garden showcases extraordinary drought-tolerant plants from around the world, making it especially relevant for California gardeners looking for sustainable landscaping inspiration.
Did you know the garden also hosts a remarkable collection of rare and endangered plant species as part of its conservation mission?
Why do gardeners love this place? Because every visit reveals something new, whether it is an unfamiliar tropical specimen or a clever water-wise planting idea they can bring home.
4. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens – Fort Bragg
Perched dramatically along the Northern California coastline, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg offers a garden experience unlike anything you will find in the southern part of the state.
Here, rugged Pacific Ocean views meet carefully cultivated beds of rhododendrons, ferns, heathers, and native California plants.
The salty sea breeze, the sound of crashing waves in the distance, and the riot of coastal colors make every visit feel cinematic.
Rhododendrons are the undeniable headliners, blooming in spectacular fashion from spring through early summer.
The garden’s 47 acres include both manicured display gardens and wilder, more natural coastal bluff areas where native plants grow freely alongside the ocean cliffs.
Walking the trails here feels like exploring two completely different worlds within a single visit.
This privately run nonprofit garden is open year-round and supports important conservation work for coastal plant species. Why do gardeners love this place?
The honest answer is that nowhere else in California can you stand among blooming rhododendrons while watching waves roll in from the Pacific. It is an experience that feeds both your love of plants and your love of dramatic natural scenery.
5. Filoli Historic House & Garden – Woodside
Few gardens in California carry the sense of history and grandeur that Filoli Historic House and Garden delivers with such effortless style.
Built between 1915 and 1917 as the private estate of William Bowers Bourn II, this magnificent 654-acre property in Woodside includes a stunning 16-acre formal garden that has been wowing visitors for over a century.
The name Filoli itself comes from the first two letters of a personal motto: Fight, Love, Live.
The formal gardens are designed in a classic English style, featuring symmetrical beds, tall clipped hedges, reflecting pools, and seasonal flower displays that change dramatically throughout the year.
Spring brings tulips and wisteria in breathtaking abundance, while summer transitions into roses and dahlias that fill the air with fragrance. Every season at Filoli tells a completely different visual story.
Now managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Filoli is open to the public and offers tours, gardening classes, and special seasonal events. Why do gardeners love this place?
Because Filoli represents the gold standard of estate garden design, where horticulture, history, and artistry come together in perfect harmony. The garden is located at 86 Canada Road, Woodside.
6. Lotusland – Santa Barbara
Walking through Lotusland feels like stepping into a living work of art. Created by visionary opera singer Ganna Walska beginning in 1941, this extraordinary 37-acre garden in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, has become one of the most celebrated horticultural destinations in the United States.
Over decades, Walska transformed the estate into a series of immersive garden rooms, each with its own mood, texture, and dramatic sense of design.
Rare cycads, sculptural succulents, and majestic blue Atlas cedars create a landscape that feels both botanical and artistic.
The famed aloe garden alone captivates visitors, showcasing hundreds of species arranged in striking spirals and bold architectural groupings.
Everywhere you turn, the garden feels intentionally composed, like a living canvas shaped by imagination and patience.
Today, Lotusland operates as a nonprofit garden, and visits remain reservation-only to preserve its calm, intimate atmosphere. The limited entry allows guests to wander slowly, savoring every detail without crowds.
Garden lovers treasure Lotusland for its fearless creativity and deeply personal vision, proof that a garden can be daring, expressive, and truly unforgettable.
7. Descanso Gardens – La Cañada Flintridge
There is something quietly magical about Descanso Gardens that invites visitors to slow their pace and breathe a little deeper. Once the private estate of newspaper publisher E.
Manchester Boddy, this 150-acre sanctuary in La Cañada Flintridge has evolved into one of Southern California’s most cherished public gardens.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Boddy planted thousands of camellias beneath a graceful canopy of coast live oaks, creating the woodland character that still defines Descanso today.
Camellias remain the signature attraction, with more than 600 varieties flowering in vivid waves from late fall through early spring. Beyond them, the rose garden dazzles each year, while rotating seasonal displays ensure the scenery is always changing.
Shaded paths wind through forest and garden rooms, giving the entire landscape a peaceful, almost storybook atmosphere far removed from the city nearby.
Today, Descanso operates as a nonprofit public garden, hosting exhibitions, workshops, and guided walks throughout the year. Garden lovers cherish it for its blend of cultivated beauty and natural woodland serenity, a place that feels both inspiring and deeply restorative.
8. South Coast Botanic Garden – Palos Verdes
Sitting atop the scenic Palos Verdes Peninsula, the South Coast Botanic Garden is proof that extraordinary beauty can grow from unexpected places.
Believe it or not, this stunning 87-acre garden was built on top of a former landfill site, transformed over decades into one of Southern California’s most photogenic green spaces. Today it is a thriving nonprofit destination that draws over 350,000 visitors each year.
The garden features an impressive variety of themed landscapes, including a rose garden, a Mediterranean garden, a children’s discovery garden, and collections of rare and unusual plants from around the globe.
Seasonal flower displays keep the scenery constantly evolving, making every return visit feel like a fresh discovery. The sweeping hillside views add an extra layer of drama to an already gorgeous setting.
Recent years have brought exciting new additions, like the seasonal and enchanting Garden of Enchantment, a fairy-tale-inspired landscape designed to spark imagination in visitors of all ages. Why do gardeners love this place?
Because it proves that creativity and dedication can transform even the most unlikely land into something genuinely breathtaking. The garden is located at 26300 Crenshaw Blvd, Palos Verdes Peninsula, and is open daily.
9. University of California Botanical Garden – Berkeley
Perched in the hills above the UC Berkeley campus, the University of California Botanical Garden is a world-class living collection renowned for both scientific research and natural beauty.
Established in 1890, it is one of California’s oldest botanical gardens and today cares for more than 10,000 plant species from across the globe.
The diversity here is remarkable, offering an ever-changing landscape that rewards slow, curious exploration.
Organized by geographic regions, the garden lets visitors wander from California native habitats to Asian woodland plantings and arid landscapes of the Americas in a single afternoon.
Conservation is central to its mission, with rare and endangered plants carefully cultivated and protected, many preserved here for future generations through dedicated botanical research and stewardship.
Operated by the University of California, Berkeley, the garden is open to the public year-round and serves as both a scientific resource and a peaceful escape.
Gardeners and nature lovers treasure it for blending rigorous plant science with the simple pleasure of discovery in a beautifully layered hillside setting.
Located at 200 Centennial Drive, it also offers guided tours, classes, and seasonal events throughout the year.
