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September 2024 by Ramanathan Kathiresan
No flowers now.. april is good time
Here is detailed information for a visitor to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden:
### Directions
- **Location**: 2525 S 336th St, Federal Way, WA 98003, USA
- **From Seattle**:
- Take I-5 South.
- Exit at 142B for WA-18 West.
- Turn right onto WA-161/Enchanted Parkway South.
- Turn left onto South 336th Street.
- The garden is located adjacent to the Pacific Bonsai Museum.
- **From Tacoma**:
- Take I-5 North.
- Exit at 142B for WA-18 West.
- Turn right onto WA-161/Enchanted Parkway South.
- Turn left onto South 336th Street.
- The garden is located next to the Pacific Bonsai Museum.
- **Parking**: Free parking is available on-site.
### Fees
- **Admission**:
- Adults: $8.00
- Seniors (65+): $5.00
- Students (with ID): $5.00
- Children under 12: Free
- **Membership**:
- Annual memberships are available, offering benefits such as free admission, discounts on plants and events, and more.
### Restrooms
- Restrooms are available at the entrance of the garden.
- Accessible restrooms are also provided.
### Operating Hours
- **Regular Hours**: Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- **Closed**: Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
- **Best Time to Visit**: April to May for peak bloom season.
### Annual Events
- **Spring Plant Sale**:
- Held in April, featuring a wide variety of rhododendrons and companion plants for sale.
- Proceeds support the garden’s maintenance and conservation efforts.
- **Fall Foliage Festival**:
- Usually held in October, this event showcases the garden’s stunning autumn colors, with special tours and educational talks.
- **Guided Garden Tours**:
- Available on select days, offering in-depth knowledge about the plants and the garden’s history.
### Garden Highlights
- **Rhododendron Collection**:
- One of the largest collections of species rhododendrons in the world, featuring over 700 species.
- Includes plants from North America, Europe, and Asia, with many rare and endangered species.
- **Woodland Garden**:
- A naturalistic area with shade-loving plants, ferns, and understory shrubs, providing a serene, forest-like atmosphere.
- **Pond and Fern Stumpery**:
- A beautiful pond area surrounded by ferns and rhododendrons, with a "stumpery" featuring artistically arranged tree stumps and roots.
- **Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection**:
- Located within the garden, this area showcases bonsai trees from across the Pacific Rim, blending bonsai art with the natural beauty of rhododendrons.
- **Meadow and Rock Garden**:
- Features drought-tolerant plants and alpine species, offering a contrast to the lush woodland areas.
### Visitor Tips
- **Photography**:
- Photography is allowed, and the garden’s colorful displays make it a popular spot for nature and flower photography.
- **Guided Tours**:
- Guided tours can be arranged in advance for groups; self-guided tours are encouraged with maps available at the entrance.
- **Accessibility**:
- The garden is mostly wheelchair accessible, with paved and gravel paths throughout.
- **Picnic Area**:
- A small picnic area is available near the entrance, making it a great spot to enjoy a meal surrounded by nature.
- **Gift Shop**:
- The garden’s gift shop offers a variety of plant-related items, including rhododendron plants, books, and garden tools.
### Seasonal Considerations
- **Spring**:
- Peak bloom season for rhododendrons, with vibrant colors
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June 2024 by Craig Reichel
Friendly staff, nice walking trails, plants blooming over multiple seasons. Credit cards only. Nice little gift shop, plants for sale, and a public restroom, and free parking. The trails are a little difficult to follow at times but there are a lot of loops so you can't get too lost. Hundreds of plants bloom during different seasons so usually there will be plants in bloom most of the year. Also has an encloses greenhouse with some tropical plants. Lots of birds and bees flying around. You get a lot ofnoisee from the nearby freeways. Overall, it was a great place to visit and takes around one to two hours to fully explore.
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June 2024 by Tina Lub
It's a lovely place but the only downside is that there are only one bathrooms and they're by the entrance.
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June 2024 by Kris Babbish
Beautiful garden and wonderful shop with a huge variety of rhododendrons and azaleas.
However, this very popular garden has only three handicapped parking spots and the regular parking lots are too far from the entrance for those with mobility challenges.
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May 2024 by K Wells
Beautiful flowers displayed here!!! As a photographer, I had an awesome time here capturing glimpses of spring time beauty!
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March 2024 by Vick Sh
There is a fee-based garden with a variety of beautiful azaleas. The entrance fee is about US$6-8. The garden is filled with various trails that allow visitors to stroll among various beautiful flower trees. There is also a bonsai museum outside the garden. Plum blossoms are my favorite potted plants for display. They also sell souvenirs and various small flowers and saplings from the garden. Flower lovers can buy potted plants directly to take home. There is also a greenhouse filled with a variety of isolated exotic plants. The greenhouse is filled with various flowers and temperate tropical plants. It is early March, and many flowering trees are in bud, but some have already begun to bloom. There should be more flowers and trees blooming again in April and May.
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February 2024 by Paul Kronst
Right now, the flowers are starting to bloom! In February!This garden is a species garden (not hybrid Rhododendrons in the city that are bred to bloom near Mother's Day weekend), so the Rhododendrons bloom here two to four weeks earlier than the Rhododendrons in Seattle!It is a nice stroll through the gardens.I'm a die-hard fan and like to go weekly when the flowers bloom. The Rhododendron Species garden is not in full bloom yet, I'm guessing closer to April, but there are still pretty flowers in bloom, especially Hellebores and Camillias.
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January 2024 by Judi H.
What a beautiful place! After visiting Soos Garden in Auburn, we drove to this garden. We roamed for quite awhile. It was August, hummingbirds were flying about, tons of gorgeous ferns, flowers and well maintained trails made it delightful to get lost in. Being a photographer, my camera got its work out. Will be back in 2024 for sure. The ladies in the gift shop were friendly and helpful. Its truly a beautiful garden to walk around. We met a older couple visiting from England, and we kept running into them (I think we both kept doing some loops, not quite sure where we were, and refusing to look at the map), they were so awesome to chat with. It was a great day!
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November 2023 by Connie Klein
If you've never visited this garden you're missing out. It's 22 acres of beauty.
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November 2023 by Martin Schuchert
Interesting and beautiful.
No dogs allowed. Also no food or picnic inside the Garden.
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November 2023 by Lea Lakes
Wonderful garden!
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November 2023 by Aubrey Jones
Always stunning and peaceful, one of my favorite places
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November 2023 by Nick Anderson
Wonderful garden with lots to explore. And the staff is always so helpful.
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November 2023 by Steve Havert
Very peaceful.
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November 2023 by Sandie L.
Looking for a free experience not too far from urban living? This place offers a sanctuary of nature, place to cool off in the heat and serenity from urban noise I didn't know about this secret gem until my date introduced me... great date experience!
