rancho santa ana botanic garden

68DONNAB

The Botanic Gardens are a hidden treasure in Claremont. They have wonderful walking trails nestled along Foothill Boulevard north of the Claremont Colleges. A nice little getaway.

SaraS859

It is a beautiful place to walk. If you are interested there are many educational opportunities. Their special programs are excellent. Something for everyone, but the activities for children are especially fun and educational. Not just plants but birds, native Americans, ecosystems and much more.

Lovinlivin53

The native variety of plants is extremely educational and helpful if you are planning on relandscaping your yard; however, I like walking the paths for the natural beauty and peacefulness.It's an excellent place to "get away from it all" and contemplate.

OCFoodDiva

It is amazing how many plants are native to California. We see a variety of them in our everyday life and sometimes don't think twice about it.* Travel tip: The Botanic Garden offers Free DaysHere are some features that we experienced:* White sage (salvia apiana) is part of the mint (lamiaceae) family* Route 66 California fuchsia (Epilobium) is part of the evening-primrose (onagraceae) family* California poppy (eschscholzia californica)* The Benson Fountain, constructed in memory of George C.S. Benson (1908-1999). He was a founding member of the Overseers Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and a stalwart supporter of California native plants.* The Benjamin Pond is dedicated to Richard K. Benjamin, Ph.D., an internationally acclaimed research scientist and mycologist.

mislerbrunger

This garden features native plants but don't let that scare you if you aren't into native plants! It is a delightful garden to wander around. There is great variety in the plantings....from cactus and succulents to oak forests and palm trees. There are many trails and interesting plants to see and they're all well marked for those interested in knowing what they're seeing. They also have special exhibits and events throughout the year as well as a charming gift shop. If you're "into" native plants you can speak with one of the staff about seeing some of the fascinating working areas. A special butterfly garden is loved by children as are the many special activities for children throughout the year. I love taking visiting family members at all times of the year.

LAtoEverywhere

We had a nice visit to this garden. The people working were super friendly. We dropped the map they gave us, though, so had a little trouble finding our way around and so we wandered aimlessly through the areas. It was all nice. It was not my number one garden of all time, but it was great to visit it. My favorite thing was the stone walkway near the entrance. Would love to have that at home. Nice gift shop!

994jeanettea

then this is the place to visit. Love this garden. have been coming here for years and have seen many changes, but it still is true to the native plant mission. not a native plant enthusiast yet? you will get an excellent introduction to a great variety. and you won't want to miss the annual native plant sale in october. i think it is the best in southern california!

FlyingBarnster

I have lived in Claremont for over 30 years however this was the first year I had ventured into the Garden. Having passed it thousands of times I had always thought the garden was simply an extension of the natural, but somewhat plain, landscaping of the fields bordering the garden. Man, was I wrong.I was there for a memorial service being held for a friend of mine. I was so impressed that i have made pans to return before the year is out. I expect that I will be making regular treks through the garden to experience the impressive and diverse examples of horticulture and forest trees.

Marianne_joy

I took a group to the Botanic Garden this summer. They enjoyed seeing southern California flora and fauna, which contrasted so much with the vegetation in their homeland. We live in a desert which is made green by irrigation, so it's a bit of a shock to see the 'native' vegetation of our region, and a wonderful, educational experience. We also enjoyed the Butterfly Pavilion which was open when we went. I didn't personally get to see the Hutapai dwelling that is on the grounds, but I would recommend a visit to it as well for another aspect of local history. The staff were phenomenal in helping plan and make our trip happen. I highly recommend the place any time of year, and plan to visit more frequently.

Dolores91711

Beautiful place to take the family for a walk and a little adventure.You can just sit and relax surrounded by the calm of nature .

richbonilla

the gardens are a great place to walk...interesting plants and vegetation .. lots of animals, open space...and peace and quiet from the busy busy city activities.....

thecarfamily

I would recommend visiting in the early morning as there is a fair amount of walking. If they offer a docent, we couldn't find one, that would make it ideal as there are many plants and trees that probably have a rich history that we didn't know about. The gift shop is good and sometimes the Garden offers native plants at fair prices. There is a fee for this. It is best to check and see when the Garden is offering special events to make the visit more educational. Difficult to find so use your GPS. I recommend visits in the Spring.

MichaelA755

Hidden from view at the top of College Ave this large collection of California plants and trees is an amazing collection with a multi-layered history. The current site is many acres of viewing with well worn paths and the need to dodge the occasional sprinkler punctuated with exhibits, works of art and a relaxing covered pond/fountain area. There are facilities of higher learning, research and a gift shop in a centralized location and near the entrance is a plant growing and purchase area.Don't forget to do your background research on where it all started before Claremont became the recipient. This history is even more amazing and a little saddening too since the state/people lost out on the dream of one woman to the apparent greed of her surviving family. Thankfully there is a portion left.Became a 'family membership' supporter and have taken family there many times over several months to watch the change of growth with the seasons, the butterfly exhibit, wild strawberries, bee hive in the oak tree and more.

Arashibi

This is a large and attractive garden near the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains just north of the Claremont Colleges. It's full of California natives in a natural setting. It's a lovely place for strolling, learning about natives or about plants in general. Allow several hours for a complete visit since there are also special exhibits and events. (For example in late June 2014, there was an interesting butterfly pavilion as well as an art exhibit.) There is a small gift store and a native plant nursery. There are several restrooms around the gardens. Claremont can get very hot and occasionally smoggy during summer months, so visitors should consider coming early or late in the day during that season. This is a great place for Southern Californians who are interested in adding native plants to their landscaping, since they can see the plants at various stages of growth and possibly even buy them at the nursery.

Paula885

To no fault of the garden...I wish I would have went earlier in the season as it was dry and I would have liked to have seen more flowers. They did have the butterfly pavilion. But it is a good place to walk around and get some fresh air. The people that work here are friendly.Small admission fee but not bad. I do not mind paying the fee to support a business like this! :-)