San Diego Botanical garden vice San Diego Zoo

[iamjv]

Looking for your inputs on which of these two San Diego locations have the better selection/variety of cycads and palms to view ????  I'll be in the San Diego area next month but will probably only have the chance to visit one of these locations and I want to visit the one with the most cycads and palms to view!  I would think it would be the botanical gardens but understand the SD zoo has a great variety of cycads and palms too.

Thanks in advance for any inputs....

Jv

[hbernstein]

The Gardens has a very fine cycad collection, with a number of large plants that were illegally imported. Overall, I'd lean toward the Zoo.

[iamjv]

21 minutes ago, hbernstein said:

The Gardens has a very fine cycad collection, with a number of large plants that were illegally imported. Overall, I'd lean toward the Zoo.

Thanks for your input/insight....  much appreciated.

[Billeb]

Definitely the zoo. 

The grounds of the zoo are just awesome. Topography and vastness could be a problem for some.  It’s a pretty good walk to see everything. 

-dale

 

[Silas_Sancona]

Keep in mind, the Zoo has two locations..  One near Balboa Park, and the Wildlife / Safari Park near Escondido..   Both have great collections...  As does the Botanical Garden  ...and Balboa Park itself.

 Since you have time, before your trip, would work out some sort of way to visit all 3 places, imo.

[Billeb]

7 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Keep in mind, the Zoo has two locations..  One near Balboa Park, and the Wildlife / Safari Park near Escondido..   Both have great collections...  As does the Botanical Garden  ...and Balboa Park itself.

 Since you have time, before your trip, would work out some sort of way to visit all 3 places, imo.

Agreed. I think you could do Balboa and the Zoo in one day as they are pretty close in proximity.  Heading north to the Wild Animal park would be quite the feat unless multiple days are avail. 
 

-dale 

[iamjv]

Dale and Silas,  thank you both for the inputs....   I didn't realize there are two locations for the zoo.   Between the two zoo locations, if I only have time for one, which would you suggest, the one near Balboa or the Escondido location????   Thanks in advance.

[rprimbs]

Definitely the zoo.  Some of the cycads and palms are amazing.  BIG Caryota's, Microcycas,  and other rare cycads. 

[Billeb]

25 minutes ago, iamjv said:

Dale and Silas,  thank you both for the inputs....   I didn't realize there are two locations for the zoo.   Between the two zoo locations, if I only have time for one, which would you suggest, the one near Balboa or the Escondido location????   Thanks in advance.

Weeeeeell…..the SD Zoo is near Balboa park and if I was going to go to one of the two it would definitely be that one. 
 

The grounds in Escondido is called the Wild Animal Park. It has plenty of plants to look at but not as compared to the Zoo in my opinion. Wild Animal park is sold as an area where the animals can roam due to the size of the facility. There are Safari like tours that are in with the animals etc. Similar to Jurassic Park. 
 

I personally think you would love the Zoo. I take the family there frequently. Kids and wife admire the animals….I stare at the plants. 

 

-dale

Edited August 12, 2022 by Billeb
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[Silas_Sancona]

16 minutes ago, iamjv said:

Dale and Silas,  thank you both for the inputs....   I didn't realize there are two locations for the zoo.   Between the two zoo locations, if I only have time for one, which would you suggest, the one near Balboa or the Escondido location????   Thanks in advance.

That's a little bit of a draw honestly,  The Zoo near Balboa has lots of good stuff ..plus a visit to Balboa itself afterwards  if you have extra time. 

Location out near Escondido has tons of awesome things to see in varied terrain / more natural settings ( since animals in many of the exhibits have more space to roam ) ..so you get a feel for how palms / etc handle the added amount of heat / drier conditions out there rather than closer to the coast where conditions are a tad more forgiving  - where the Zoo / Balboa are located.  Both have tons of animals to see also.

As i mentioned,  if  you're able to, would definitely try to squeeze in visits to both locations.. Well worth it.   You'll be visiting the area during a great time of year as well. 


 

[iamjv]

1 hour ago, rprimbs said:

Definitely the zoo.  Some of the cycads and palms are amazing.  BIG Caryota's, Microcycas,  and other rare cycads. 

Thank you...  certainly seems like this is the number one place to visit !!!

[iamjv]

1 hour ago, Billeb said:

Weeeeeell…..the SD Zoo is near Balboa park and if I was going to go to one of the two it would definitely be that one. 
 

The grounds in Escondido is called the Wild Animal Park. It has plenty of plants to look at but not as compared to the Zoo in my opinion. Wild Animal park is sold as an area where the animals can roam due to the size of the facility. There are Safari like tours that are in with the animals etc. Similar to Jurassic Park. 
 

I personally think you would love the Zoo. I take the family there frequently. Kids and wife admire the animals….I stare at the plants. 

 

-dale

I will certainly make this be the first location to visit and hopefully Balboa park as well.   Thanks again for your inputs!

[iamjv]

1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

That's a little bit of a draw honestly,  The Zoo near Balboa has lots of good stuff ..plus a visit to Balboa itself afterwards  if you have extra time. 

Location out near Escondido has tons of awesome things to see in varied terrain / more natural settings ( since animals in many of the exhibits have more space to roam ) ..so you get a feel for how palms / etc handle the added amount of heat / drier conditions out there rather than closer to the coast where conditions are a tad more forgiving  - where the Zoo / Balboa are located.  Both have tons of animals to see also.

As i mentioned,  if  you're able to, would definitely try to squeeze in visits to both locations.. Well worth it.   You'll be visiting the area during a great time of year as well. 


 

Thank you for the added info....   maybe things will work out so that I can visit the Escondido location too !!!   Appreciate our input!

[Silas_Sancona]

3 minutes ago, iamjv said:

Thank you for the added info....   maybe things will work out so that I can visit the Escondido location too !!!   Appreciate our input!

 

Regardless of how everything works out, you're going to have a great time on your trip ...and tons of pictures taken...  If you're able to fit in a trip to both places ...even better.  If not?  more reason for another trip as soon as one is possible.

[Sabal Steve]

There’s also a small colony of Jubeas, that I believe are still around, about 1-2 blocks North of the Zoo entrance on Park Blvd, on the West side of Park Blvd.  This photo must be at least a few years old.

If you went a block south of the Zoo entrance on Park (East side of Park, near the pedestrian bridge), there are nice desert and rose gardens.  

[iamjv]

1 hour ago, Sabal Steve said:

There’s also a small colony of Jubeas, that I believe are still around, about 1-2 blocks North of the Zoo entrance on Park Blvd, on the West side of Park Blvd.  This photo must be at least a few years old.

If you went a block south of the Zoo entrance on Park (East side of Park, near the pedestrian bridge), there are nice desert and rose gardens.  

Thanks Steve for the info and photo reference.   Those Jubs look great....   hoping to see some mature Jubs in one of these gardens!  Jv

[Sabal Steve]

2 hours ago, iamjv said:

Thanks Steve for the info and photo reference.   Those Jubs look great....   hoping to see some mature Jubs in one of these gardens!  Jv

There’s also the famous field of Jubs in Mission Bay Park, 5-10 miles from Balboa Park, that’s worth a visit, right by the bay.  There’s beaches in that area, too.

Edited August 13, 2022 by Sabal Steve

[Tracy]

On 8/12/2022 at 5:50 AM, iamjv said:

I'll be in the San Diego area next month but will probably only have the chance to visit one of these locations and I want to visit the one with the most cycads and palms to view!  I would think it would be the botanical gardens but understand the SD zoo has a great variety of cycads and palms too.

I am late to comment but the other factor I would add is that it depends on where you are staying while "in the area".  The Balboa Park Zoo location has the biggest selection of palms and cycads, as it is on a larger property than Quail Botanical, now San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas.  The former "Wild Animal Park" operated by the zoo has the most acreage, but a little less diversity in tropical species of palms just due to it's location 20 miles inland. 

Perhaps you have already settled your agenda while here in San Diego.  Steve's suggestion above of visiting Mission Bay is a good one too.  There are some palms around the Hilton Mission Bay which is on the far east side as well as around some of the hotels on the west side of the bay closer to the beach.  All of this is reasonably close to downtown, depending on where you are staying.  Encintas and Escondido are a bit further to journey, but personally, I would go to Encinitas for the Botanical Garden as a second destination over the Wild Animal Park in September (very hot).

An older photo, but you will only find this species at the Zoo's Balboa Park location, not in Escondido or Encinitas.  It is one of my personal favorites.

[RichAZ]

The Zoo is an amazing botanical garden.  I found this Jubaea at the bottom of a small ravine next to the parking lot.  Not even part of a garden really, just kind of hanging out.  

[Billeb]

40 minutes ago, RichAZ said:

The Zoo is an amazing botanical garden.  I found this Jubaea at the bottom of a small ravine next to the parking lot.  Not even part of a garden really, just kind of hanging out.  

If my memory serves, that’s at Balboa Park not the zoo. Could be wrong though. 
 

-dale

[RichAZ]

Yes. My bad.  That is Balboa Park.