Best Botanical Garden for Palms in LA

[palmhort]

I am planning on attending the Biennial in October and want to stop in LA on the way to visit a botanical Garden.  I've never been to LA and may not have a lot of time to visit more than 1 garden. What botanical garden is THE BEST for seeing Palms?  I initially thought Huntington Botanical Garden was the best but upon a Google search, I'm thinking maybe not?   Thanks for the help.

Jeff

[ZPalms]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:39 PM, palmhort said:

I am planning on attending the Biennial in October and want to stop in LA on the way to visit a botanical Garden.  I've never been to LA and may not have a lot of time to visit more than 1 garden. What botanical garden is THE BEST for seeing Palms?  I initially thought Huntington Botanical Garden was the best but upon a Google search, I'm thinking maybe not?   Thanks for the help.

Jeff

I saw Palm Planet do a video of huntington botanical garden a while back, The Palm garden looks amazing! I don't know if their other gardens with a bigger inventory of palms in LA than Huntingtons at least from what I searched!  Have fun in LA, I would love to go back one day and see the gardens for myself 

Edited February 2, 2022 by ZPalms

[palmhort]

WOW! Amazing! Well that definitely answers my questions, I'm only going there!

[GoatLockerGuns]

@palmhort, I tried to go there in March of 2021, and they were only accepting ticket holders to the Huntington Library Palm Garden (like many sites in LA due to city COVID-19 restrictions).  Tickets had to be purchased a few days in advance; you couldn't just show up.  Looks like they may have relaxed the requirement somewhat; however, the website currently says that advanced tickets still need to be purchased for weekends, holidays, and free days.  Make sure you plan ahead.  https://www.huntington.org/visit

[GoatLockerGuns]

The Arboretum has a decent collection as well.  https://www.arboretum.org/

[Silas_Sancona]

If you had more time to head south for a day.. S.D. Zoo/ Safari Park, out in Escondido, and S.D. Zoo/  Balboa Park  closer to San Diego proper have lots of palms.. Not sure about S.D. Botanical ( formally Quail Botanical ) But definitely worth a visit anyway..

As far as Both the Huntington, and L.A. Arboretum.. (  more so Huntington.. haha ) Come for the Palms,  but may not want to leave ( ever )  after walking the desert garden, lol.

@GoatLockerGuns  makes a great point about checking the garden's website for any COVID - related updates..  HOPEFULLY it settles down so everything can continue to get back to normal, and any pre- purchase requirements still in effect at various places out there atm will be  long gone by October ..but, you never know.

Though palmhort's  focus is Los Angeles,  For anyone else who might find themself / selves wandering out this way some time this year,  Here, the only Botanical Garden requiring pre- paid tickets right now is Desert Botanical ( no palms to see there really )  Other gardens, like Boyce and Tohono Chul Park in Tucson have much more palms to see ( though obviously limited to what will grow here ) and no " get your tickets before going " requirements. Not sure about the Desert Museum.. As mentioned, hopefully any " pre purchase ticket requirements " will disappear soon, as long as everything covid- wise continues to improve.

Annual Gem and Mineral show down there has been going on as scheduled as well.  That ends on the 13th of this month, in case anyone nearby wants to take a look this week.

Spring Plant sales at various gardens / other places around the state are also still on schedule for March.

Should mention, No tickets necessary to walk around the U of Arizona's Campus Arboretum, or grab a bite and sit among the Washingtonia Groves at Agua Caliente Park, on the  east side of Tucson.