University of California, Riverside Botanic Gardens

UC Riverside Botanic Gardens spans 40 acres of varied terrain with over 3,500 plant species from Mediterranean climates and arid regions worldwide. The space is divided into sections representing different ecosystems and geographic origins of the plant collection.

The gardens were founded in 1963 as a teaching collection for the university. Over the decades, they expanded into a comprehensive botanical institution supporting research and public education.

The Native American Plants section displays species that indigenous communities in the region have used for generations as medicines, food sources, and craft materials. Visitors can see how these plants shaped local traditions over time.

The gardens sit on terrain with significant elevation changes, so comfortable walking shoes are important and visitors should be ready for uphill and downhill sections. The pathways are marked, but the ground can become slippery after heavy rain, so checking weather conditions beforehand helps.

The terrain's varying elevations create multiple microclimates that allow rare plants like the Fouquieria columnaris from Baja California to thrive. These extreme conditions let the gardens display plants that would otherwise be difficult to grow elsewhere.