Park's Exotic Flora, Fauna Invite Walk on Wild Side

Born out of the racier side of the Great Depression, Zoro Garden began life as a nudist colony during the 1935 California-Pacific Exposition. Today its sunken stone grotto forms the center of a butterfly garden, containing the larvae and nectar plants need for the complete life cycle of butterflies. Miniature indentations built into rocks collect small pools of water for the monarch, sulfur, and swallowtail butterflies that flit among the colorful perennials and the ficus trees surrounding the garden.

The WorldBeat Center's Children's Ethnobotany Garden honors the memory of George Washington Carver and is home to organic herb, fruit, and vegetable plants. The garden helps teach young people about the role of plants in society. Gardening classes are available to groups from schools, youth programs, individuals, and families by appointment or on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. The garden also serves the nearly 6,000 students in the 5th Grade Balboa Park Integration Program.

Palm Canyon is a tropical oasis, reached by following winding paths through a shady, lush canyon containing more than 450 palms representing 58 species. The original group of Mexican fan palms—the canyon's most prominent feature—dates back to 1912. In 2001, the California Conservation Corps restored the historic trail that connected Palm Canyon to the Old Cactus Garden.

The Japanese Friendship Garden began as a teahouse during the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition and now lies on two acres near the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Along the garden's winding paths are a zen garden for meditation, an exhibit house, koi pond, bonsai exhibit, ceremonial gate, and a Fujidana (wisteria arbor). Weekend classes are offered in sushi making, bonsai, calligraphy, and conversational Japanese.

Visitors can stop to smell the 2,500 roses at the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden. Nearly 200 varieties adorn a three-acre site with all their fragrance and color. The garden blooms from March through December, but roses usually are at their peak in April and May. Located across from the San Diego Natural History Museum, it is accessible by the Park Boulevard pedestrian bridge.

The Florida Canyon Native Plant Preserve offers a glimpse into the original landscape of Balboa Park. The 150 acres of coastal sage scrub provide an important habitat for native wildlife. Many hiking trails wend their way through Florida Canyon, and both the park rangers and staff of the Natural History Museum conduct tours in this area.

The 1935 (Old) Cactus Garden was developed for the 1935 California-Pacific International Exposition. It contains some of the largest cactus and succulent specimens in the park and includes exotic African and Australian protea plants.

Patterned after the gardens of Alcazar Castle in Seville, Spain, the Alcazar Garden lies next to the Art Institute and the Mingei Museum. It features ornate fountains; exquisite turquoise blue, yellow, and green Moorish tiles; and a shady pergola. The formal garden is bordered by boxwood hedges and planted with 7,000 annuals for a vibrant display of color throughout the year. The garden has been reconstructed to replicate the 1935 design by San Diego architect Richard Requa.