This seven-acre botanical garden on UCLA’s Westwood campus developed from land set aside in 1929 as an academic laboratory into the only free public botanical garden in the Greater Los Angeles area. Named for botanist Mildred E. Mathias, who directed it from 1956 to 1974 and broadened its public role, it now contains more than 3,000 plant species. Its mild conditions since 1948–49 have supported strong collections of tropical and subtropical plants, including notable Torrey pine and dawn redwood specimens. Arranged for teaching and research, the garden also includes themed plantings, outdoor classroom space, and an herbarium focused on California and the western United States.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia

Beverly Hills, California · USA