Nature Made Sanctuary

Tucked away in our own “American Riviera” lies a secluded treasure in waiting. Upon entering the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, every sense awakens, and a secret world promises to unveil gems around every bend. And that’s quite a bend…78 acres of surprises and awe unfold, courtesy of Mother Nature, revealing the first botanic garden with a sole focus on native plants.

For nearly a century, the garden’s team has sought to forge a connection between people and plants, showcasing the symbiotic relationship between the two. The founders, truly visionaries, set forth to create the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, melding the scientific, educational, and aesthetic aspects.

The garden’s overflowing abundance of diversity and rich biological history invite seemingly endless exploration throughout its 11 distinct California ecosystems. The meadow and its grasslands are not to be missed-- California’s grasslands play host to 90-percent of the state’s endangered plant species, not to mention the jaw-dropping beauty of this year’s spectacular superbloom. Oh, but the garden has so much more. From the desert’s unforgiving hot, dry landscape to the lush, cool, shady Redwood forests, from the beautiful manzanitas with their smooth, red bark dotted with small urn-shaped flowers to the sheltered Wooded Dell, from the pollinator garden welcoming native hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies to the musical Arroyo water ponds brimming with a cacophony of songbirds and frogs seeking a sip of water or perhaps a bath, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has strived to develop an understanding and protection of native habitats and plants.

With the climate and biodiversity crisis at hand, the garden team continues to passionately tap into the regenerative power of native plants to restore the health of our planet. The team recognizes that, while humans pose a threat to native plants, they are also part of the solution. By educating the community, the team inspires us to join in their advocacy efforts to help combat climate change by promoting a native plant landscape and habitat.

Leave your cares to the outside world and let your mind wander as you meander along five miles of paths through the garden. With capacity limitations, be sure to make reservations (parking is included) at botanicgarden.org or call (805) 682-4726. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Let nature take the lead in this enchanting world, immersing yourself in serenity with a feast for your senses.