Last month Foster Botanical Garden, the oldest of five city-run gardens on Oʻahu, reopened after it had been closed for improvements to pathways and bathrooms. Not much has changed at the 14-acre botanical garden, which can trace its roots back to 1853. That year Queen Kalama, the wife of King Kamehameha III, leased a 4.6-acre […]
Exploring the various flora and fauna of O‘ahu is always a welcome getaway. Our readers shared their favorite botanical gardens on the island—and they are our favorites, too. 1. Waimea Valley A site rich in history and culture, Waimea Valley is home to a 45-foot-tall waterfall—and call ahead to see if conditions are right for
“An hour in the garden puts life’s problems in perspective.” This is on a sign posted on the door of Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden’s visitor center. I’ve only been here a minute, but I can already understand the sentiment on a spiritual level. Ever since my girlfriend, Kaila, and I crossed the the Ko‘olau Mountains on
It’s almost 11 a.m. and my friend and I don’t have much time to find out way back to the entrance of the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum in Mānoa. This 200-acre botanical garden, founded in 1918 and run by the University of Hawaiʻi, recently reopened to the public for two-hour visits. And we’re getting really
Hawaiʻi’s beaches may be its star attraction, but these one-of-a-kind curated gardens, with their picturesque views and unique collections of flora, are lush places of wonder. Read on for the Oʻahu botanical gardens our readers voted the best in 2020. 1. Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden Photo: David Croxford Run by the nonprofit Hi‘ipaka LLC, this gorgeous
*This story was updated in January 2026. I had never hugged a tree before. But there I was, on a recent Saturday morning at Lyon Arboretum in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu, doing just that—well, actually, stroking a tree’s weathered trunk and marveling at how tall and straight it was. There was something calming and gratifying
It feels like I’m descending into another world. One step onto the steep 500-foot-long boardwalk at the entrance of Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden and I am transported back in time. Leaving the modern world behind, I follow the walkway to the bottom of the valley. There’s a canopy of trees above me, and I’m enveloped
If you’re still wondering why Kauai is called The Garden Isle, look no further than these Top 5 botanical gardens. With picturesque views and one-of-a-kind plant collections, these spots from our 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards prove the island is worthy of its name. 1. Allerton Garden Photo: Getty Images Nestled in the Limahuli (which means
