Quail Botanical Gardens
- Garden in Encinitas features rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, and a subtropical fruit garden. Information about visiting, volunteering, children's and adult events and c
- http://www.qbgardens.org/

South Coast Botanic Garden
- Located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Los Angeles, among this garden's distinct areas are a rose garden, a garden for the senses, a Japanese garden, and a cactus garden.
- http://www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org/

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden
- Garden in Thousand Oaks featuring collections of native plants, oak trees, water-conserving plants, and an abundant population of indigenous wildlife. Descriptions and information about events.
- http://www.conejogarden.org

Balboa Park: Gardens
- Urban park in San Diego, featuring hundreds of tree species, several theme and regional gardens, a conservatory botanical building, and a children's ethnobotany garden.
- http://www.balboapark.org/in-the-park/organizations.php?catID=8

Blake Garden
- Estate garden at the official residence of the President of the University of California, located in Kensington. Visitor information, map, and history.
- http://www-laep.ced.berkeley.edu/laep/blakegarden/

Ojai's Cluff Vista Park
- Background, layout, and photos of a small park featuring plants native to the Ojai Valley and surrounding mountains.
- http://www.magney.org/photofiles/Ojai-CluffVistaParkPhotos1.htm

Getty Center: Central Garden
- Description, photos, and plant listing for the garden within the Los Angeles visual arts center.
- http://www.getty.edu/visit/see_do/gardens.html

Sherman Gardens and Library
- Horticultural retreat in Corona del Mar, featuring a cactus and succulent garden, a tropical conservatory, rose, herb, and Japanese gardens. The library focuses on the history of the Pacific Southwest.
- http://www.slgardens.org/

Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens
- Santa Barbara recreational park centered on a man-made pond, featuring drought-tolerant plants. Overview with several photos and directions.
- http://www.santabarbara.com/activities/parks/AliceKeck/

Luther Burbank Home & Gardens
- Home, greenhouse, and gardens where the famed horticulturist experimented with plants. Overview of gardens, plants by month of bloom, and information for teachers.
- http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/default.aspx?PageId=708

San Francisco Botanical Garden
- Mediterranean gardens at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park presents mission and visitor information, detailed map, course catalog, and plant sale schedule.
- http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/

Conservatory of Flowers
- The oldest existing public conservatory in the western hemisphere, located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Information on tours, plants, and using the facility for events.
- http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/

University of California Riverside Botanic Gardens
- Covers 40 hilly acres of scenic trails, specialty gardens, and geographical collections. Garden overview, visitor information, and event calendar.
- http://www.botanicgardens.ucr.edu/

Arboretum at the University of California, Santa Cruz
- Features plants grouped by geographic origin: Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and California, including a large collection of genus Erica. Visitor information, plant photo gallery, and event calendar.
- http://www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/

San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden
- Devoted to the display and study of the plants and ecosystems of the world's five Mediterranean climate zones.
- http://www.slobg.org/

Cornerstone Gardens
- Series of walk-through gardens in Sonoma showcasing innovative designs by various landscape architects. Information about the designers, events, and exhibits.
- http://www.cornerstonegardens.com/

Hakone Gardens
- Japanese gardens built in 1918 in Saratoga, featuring koi pond, Zen and tea gardens, and a bamboo park. Photo gallery, visitor information.
- http://www.hakone.com/

Elizabeth Gamble Garden
- Palo Alto community horticultural organization tends a property with a historic home, and formal and demonstration gardens. Virtual tour, featured plants, and information about events, education, and children's programs.
- http://www.gamblegarden.org/

Mildred E Mathias Botanical Garden
- Located on the UCLA campus, this garden maintains a large botanical collection,with plant specimens from all over the world, including tropical and subtropical plants.
- http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/

The Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Gardens
- Catalina Island garden featuring plants endemic to the island. Plant profiles, information about the conservancy and interpretive center.
- http://www.catalina.com/memorial.html

Huntington Botanical Gardens
- The large garden in San Marino includes specialized gardens, theme areas, and collections from other countries. Descriptions and photos, and information on event and exhibits, membership, and research.
- http://www.huntington.org/BotanicalDiv/HEHBotanicalHome.html

Guadalupe River Park & Gardens
- Three-mile ribbon of park land along the banks of the Guadalupe River in downtown San Jose, featuring rose and rock gardens, sister city tributes, and a historic orchard.
- http://www.grpg.org/

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
- Its mission is to foster an awareness and appreciation of the role of plants in nature and in human affairs.
- http://www.arboretum.org/

Blue Bird Haven Iris Garden
- Victorian show garden in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, landscaped with iris, daffodils, wildflowers, shrubs and trees, and surrounded by an iris nursery.
- http://www.bluebirdhavenirisgarden.com/

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
- Located on 65 acres in historic Mission Canyon, it features over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous plants.
- http://www.sbbg.org/

Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego
- Information and pictures covering the design, botanical collection, exhibits, events, and history of this garden located in Balboa Park.
- http://www.niwa.org/

The Gardens at Heather Farm
- Nonprofit education center in Walnut Creek serves as a living museum, a wildlife habitat, an outdoor classroom, and a place of beauty and enjoyment. Photos, information about membership and events.
- http://www.gardenshf.org/

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
- On the campus of California State University, Long Beach. History, online tour with descriptions and photographs, and information about membership, events, and education.
- http://www.csulb.edu/~jgarden/

Descanso Gardens
- A 160-acre public garden in La Cañada near Los Angeles. Schedule of events, information on visiting, membership and volunteering.
- http://www.descansogardens.org/

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
- Located in Claremont, California, the Garden is home to 70,000 native Californian plants, representing 2,000 native species, hybrids and cultivars.
- http://www.rsabg.org/

UC Davis Arboretum
- Living museum, outdoor classroom, and public garden with thousands of tree and plant species adapted to a Mediterranean climate. News, information about visiting, and calendar of events and programs.
- http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/

University of California at Berkeley Botanical Garden
- Features one of the most diverse plant collections in the United States, famous for its rare and endangered species. Information about collections, education, events, mission, and history.
- http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
- This garden fronting directly on the Pacific coast includes woodland, perennial, rhododendron, dahlia, and camellia gardens, a fern canyon, and a pacifica iris collection. Photos, visitor information, and event calendar.
- http://www.gardenbythesea.org/

The Japanese Garden Suiho En
- This garden of water and fragrance in Van Nuys is fashioned after 18th and 19th century stroll gardens. It incorporates a dry garden, a wet garden with promenade, and an authentic tea ceremony garden. Extensive descriptions, information, and photos.
- http://www.thejapanesegarden.com/

Turtle Bay Exploration Park
- This educational and entertainment complex includes the McConnell Arboretum and Gardens and a butterfly conservatory. Visitor information and overview of programs and events.
- http://www.turtlebay.org/

Visual Golden Gate Park
- Interactive map of the public park in San Francisco, with links to illustrated descriptions of many of its constituent gardens.
- http://www.lightight.com/GGP/GGPmain.html

The Ruth Bancroft Garden
- Private garden in Walnut Creek exemplifying a water-conserving design, featuring dramatic succulents, cacti, and arid-climate trees. Limited visiting hours. Photo gallery, visitor information, history and plant profiles.
- http://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/

Lotusland
- Large estate and botanic garden created by Madame Ganna Walska near Santa Barbara, composed of smaller themed gardens (Japanese, Australian; succulents, cycads, bromeliads, cacti). Education programs, events, visitor information.
- http://www.lotusland.org/

Ganna Walska Lotusland
- Photographer Dika Golovatchoff captures the aloe, cactus, cycad, butterfly, epiphyllum, Japanese and lotus gardens at the public garden near Santa Barbara.
- http://home.earthlink.net/~digolovdesign/lotusland/

Fullerton Arboretum
- Non-profit arboretum and botanical garden at California State University, Fullerton. Community resource for ecological, horticultural, and historical education. Visitor information, maps, plant database.
- http://arboretum.fullerton.edu/

Filoli Center
- This 654-acre Bay Area estate garden represents the Golden Age of American Gardens, with house and gardens designed as complementary units. Events and educational programs, garden overview.
- http://www.filoli.org/

Bamboo Garden At Foothill College
- In-depth information about the collection of 70 bamboo varieties grown in a two-acre garden in Los Altos. The plants are evaluated for their adaptability to the San Francisco Bay Area climate. Visitor information, events.
- http://www.bamboogarden.org/