Wish You Were Here!
Welcome to the Foster Botanical Garden!
Just north of Chinatown (literally across the street) is the Foster Botanical Garden, one of five botanical gardens in Honolulu. Founded in the 1850s, this garden is home to numerous Hawaiian native specimens as well as other plants found throughout Asia, Oceania, and other tropical parts of the world. There are also “exceptional trees protected by city ordinance” here (as well as throughout the city), such a Ficus religiosa, or Sacred Fig tree, that was planted from a seed of the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India under which Prince Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment, and was ever after known as the Buddha! This garden is definitely under the radar, not unknown, but a perfect place to relax in nature and see and learn about exotic plants you likely have never seen and may never see again! There is also a greenhouse, butterfly garden, and numerous sculptures adding to the scenery. Truly a botanist’s dream!
The Foster Botanical Garden operates from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm daily (closed Christmas and New Year Day), and admission is $5.00 for adults, $1.00 for children 6-12, and free for children under 5.
For a list of some of the featured plants at the garden with photos and external links to Wikipedia for more information, check out the Gardens of Hawaii Foster Botanical Garden page. (Note: the free admission price on the page is out of date; still, for a mere $5.00 a ticket, one can see exceptional plants that are well worth it, and support the garden for future visitors!)
Can’t make it to the Garden in person? You can always take this awesome virtual tour by Leana Setian!
Check It Out!
More Photos!
