10 best botanical gardens in North America, according to readers

Photo courtesy of Lya_Cattel // Getty Images

April showers might very well bring May flowers, but at these spectacular gardens, there’s always something in bloom. The best botanical gardens and arboretums in North America help to promote and conserve the plant diversity of our planet, all while showcasing their vast collections in stunning, visitor-friendly ways. A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to search for the top spots, and the 10 best botanical gardens were determined by popular vote. Scroll to see the winners.

Photo courtesy of Roman Johnston // Portland Japanese Garden

No. 10: Portland Japanese Garden – Portland, Oregon

The Portland Japanese Garden offers a peaceful haven for visitors to leave behind their worries and immerse themselves in the beauty and tranquility of nature. Visitors can enjoy meandering along streams and walkways, relaxing at a Japanese tea house and viewing Mount Hood. The Portland Japanese Garden is considered to be the most “authentic Japanese Garden outside of Japan.”

Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/Biltmore

No. 9: Biltmore Garden & Grounds – Asheville, North Carolina

The magnificent gardens and grounds of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina change every season as constantly evolving waves of color transform the 8,000 acres. Throughout April, enjoy the coming of spring with forsythia, magnolias, tulips, dogwoods and redbuds. In later spring, poppies, pansies, azaleas and other flowering shrubs make their glorious colors known to visitors.

From mid-September through October, chrysanthemums and salvias fill the garden beds, and in the latter part of October, trees display a glorious mix of greens, golds and russet colors. During the winter months, while the outdoor gardens take a well-deserved rest, the Conservatory offers poinsettias and orchids for beautiful holiday photo opportunities.

Photo courtesy of iStock / igaguri_1

No. 8: Mt. Cuba Center – Hockessin, Delaware

The Mt. Cuba Center maintains a living collection of native and historic plants from the Eastern temperate forests of the United States, with a particular focus on the Appalachian Piedmont. Named gardens include a formal garden surrounding the historic estate, a research garden, a dogwood path and a meadow.

Photo courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden

No. 7: Desert Botanical Garden – Phoenix, Arizona

A must-see in Phoenix, the Desert Botanical Garden includes 140 acres – 55 of them cultivated – showcasing more than 50,000 plant specimens in one of the world’s most important collections of arid flora. Five themed trails facilitate exploration of the world’s desert plants and the adaptations they have made to survive in these sometimes harsh environments.

Photo courtesy of Brookgreen Gardens

No. 6: Brookgreen Gardens – Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Founded in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, Brookgreen Gardens combines art, nature and history. The Botanical Gardens at Brookgreen boast 250-year-old live oak trees, a butterfly garden, a Palmetto Garden, a kitchen garden and a children’s garden. Visitors strolling the grounds will delight in the beauty of the sculptures and the bold garden designs. 

Photo courtesy of The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

No. 5: The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens – Palm Desert, California

Located in the California city of Palm Desert, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens includes a botanical garden experience that focuses on the recreations of various desert plant community ecosystems of North America. The Mojave, Chihuahuan, Sonora and Colorado deserts are included, with each desert’s unique habitats represented. Additionally, there are numerous specialized focus gardens, including agave, aloe, hummingbird, butterfly, palm, sage, East African and many more.

Photo courtesy of Huntsville Botanical Garden

No. 4: Huntsville Botanical Garden – Huntsville, Alabama

This 118-acre Alabama botanical garden is open year-round and offers a variety of diverse ecosystems for guests of all ages to enjoy and explore. Opened in 1988, the garden includes a seasonal open-aired butterfly house, a dogwood trail, a fern glade, themed herb gardens and a nature trail with paths through an indigenous lowland forest.

Photo courtesy of Vallarta Botanical Garden

No. 3: Vallarta Botanical Gardens – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Vallarta Botanical Gardens, located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is home to the most-visited collection of orchids open to the public in Mexico. The garden’s display of diverse Mexican native plants is viewable along picturesque trails. A must-see is the in vitro lab where the orchids are grown.  

Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

No. 2: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden – Cincinnati, Ohio

The Botanical Garden at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden includes a Butterfly Garden with a variety of plants, a green roof on the giraffe building and an Endangered Species Garden, devoted to the propagation and preservation of endangered plants. A spring highlight of the Botanical Garden is the 100,000-bulb tulip display. 

Photo courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

No. 1: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden – Coral Gables, Florida

The warm climate of Coral Gables allows tropical plants to be grown outdoors year-round at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden – one of the only places in the continental United States where this is possible. Exotic butterflies fly freely within the Wings of the Tropics Conservatory, while the Rare Plant House displays 450 species of rare and endangered tropical plants from around the globe. Other themed gardens include a Tropical Fruit Pavilion, Palm Glade, Tropical Flower Garden, Succulent Garden and even a display of the dry forest plants of Madagascar.