Zilker Botanical Gardens

One of the great things about Ausitn is the diversity of attractions and things to do. I lived in Austin for 6 years before I went to visit the Zilker Botanical Gardens and I wish I had been to visit sooner. The complex sits on about 31 acres of land near Zilker Park and I highly recommend that you take a trip to visit and view all of the cool gardens.

There are several gardens at the complex.

Cactus and Succulent Garden
Hartman Prehistoric Garden
Herb and Fragrance Garden
Isamu TaniguchiI Oriental Garden
Mabel Davis Rose Garden
Doug Blachly Butterfly Trail and Garden
Pioneer Village

Isamu TaniguchiI Oriental Garden

Mr. Taniguchi built this garden as a gift to the City of Austin in 1969 . He was 70 years old at that time. With the help of an assistant he took 3 acres of woodlands and created the peaceful garden that exists today.

Cactus and Succulent Garden

Construction on the Cactus and Succulent Garden was begun in 1989 by members of the Cactus and Succulent Society. Most of the plants are native Texas succulents. The garden was dedicated in 1991.The best time to see the garden is when it blooms in mid-April to mid-May.

Hartman Prehistoric Garden

Paleontologists discovered dinosaurs tracks made by six or seven reptiles along with the bones of an ancient turtle in 1992. From this discovery we can assume that dinosaurs once roamed the grounds of Zilker Botanical Garden. The tracks were cast in plaster and reburied to preserve them further.

The garden mimics a Cretaceous habitat likely similar to the habitat of the animals that made the tracks in the garden. Plants in the garden represent the types that existed at the time of the dinosaurs. These are the sport producing plants (ferns, horsetails and liverworts), the gymnosperms (cycads, conifers and ginkgos) and the first angiosperms (magnolias and palms).

There is a life-size sculpture on Dino Island is an Ornithomimus (Greek for "bird-mimic"), the dinosaur that left tracks of its three toed feet in the gardens.

Herb and Fragrance Garden

The Austin Herb Society maintains the Herb Garden at Zilker Botanical Gardens. The garden has beds laid out in a clover shape and a statue of Rosemary, Goddess of Herbs graces the center of the clover. The best part of this garden is the wonderful smell that permeates the air when you wander through the clover.

Mabel Davis Rose Garden

The garden was dedicated in 1973 and was later enlarged in 1987. There are both shrub and climbing roses. The best time to view the garden is when the flowers are in peak bloom from April to June and then one more time in October.

Doug Blachly Butterfly Trail and Garden

The Butterfly Garden and Trail is loaded with local flowers and plants that attract numerous butterflies. Visitors often get an up close view of many of Austin's attractive species as well as migrating varieties of butterflies.