Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens

The Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens is located about ten miles southwest of downtown Savannah, Georgia. It's a fifty acre garden which is part of the University of Georgia.

The garden's collections began in 1890 when Mrs. H. B. Miller planted three huge Japanese timber bamboo plants. They had become a substantial grove in 1915, which got the attention of botanist, David Fairchild. His friend, Barbour Lathrop, purchased the site and added to the collection. In 1983 it was deeded to the University of Georgia and is part of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Today the garden has over 100 kinds of bamboo, making it the largest collection open to the public in North America.

While the gardens are noted for the remarkable bamboo collection (and bamboo maze), there are plenty of other flowers here.  There's a Mediterranean garden, a water garden which showcases a nine-foot waterfall, an orchid greenhouse, and a cottage garden with a white gazebo which is a popular site for weddings.

The gardens are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00 - 5:00, and Sunday from 12:00 - 5:00.  Admission is free.