Compiled List of Cycad Gardens
(Note: This list was modified [and supplemented] from Ken Hill's The Cycad Pages)

Cycads in habitat:

• Carnarvon National Park
  Central Queensland, 10 hours from Brisbane
• Malolotja Nature Reserve
  Swaziland National Trust Commission
• The Forest of Modjadji (Cycad Sanctuary)
  South Africa

Cycads in public gardens:

USA

• The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
  811 South Palm Avenue Sarasota, Florida 34236 USA
  A garden dedicted to epiphytes, including the amazing epiphytic cycad, Zamia pseudoparasitica, and with many other interesting plants including cycads.
• Fairchild Tropical Garden
  Miami, Florida USA
  A garden dedicted to tropical plants, especially palms, cycads, and palm-like plants.

• Harry P. Leu Gardens
  Orlando, FL
  The Cycads are found in the area of the Garden known as the Palm Garden. This section contains the palm, bamboo, and cycad collections. We have over 300 different species, varieties, and hybrids of palms, 70 of cycads, and 40 of bamboo and actively aquiring more every year. The cycad collection contains plants of every genera except Chigua and Microcycas, although we would like to try a Microcycas one day. Most of the plants are young--less than 20 years old--and many have been added in the last five years. We have several Encephalartos spp. that have reached coning stage in the last several years, as has a large Lepidozamia peroffskyana. Planted among the cycads are other "ancient" plants, such as Ginkgo, Metasequoia, tree ferns, horsetail, Araucaria, ferns (terrestrial & epiphytic), southern magnolia, and Glyptostrobus. This makes it more interesting for visiting school groups as the children get to walk through a "dinosaur garden". (Contributed by Eric Schimdt, FL)

• The Fullerton Arboretum
  1900 Associated Road
  Fullerton, CA
  Phone: (714) 278-3579
  Our cycad collection is not as large as LA Arboretum or Huntington Gardens, but we are working on our cycad and palm collections. We will also be developing another 2.5 acres of subtropical gardens (cycads, palms, and bamboos and a few flowering trees). (Contributed by Glen Williams, CA)

• The Arboretum of Los Angeles
  301 North Baldwin Avenue
  Arcadia, CA
  Phone (626) 477-8207
  Good collection of cycads due mainly to Loran Whitelock's efforts over the past 30 years. Short on funds now as it is a Los Angeles County facility. (Contributed by Bruce & Suzie Ironmonger, CA)

• The Huntington Gardens
  1151 Oxford Road
  San Marino, CA
  Phone (626) 405-2141
  Located a couple of miles from the LA Arboretum. Incredible gardens, good cycad collection,  much photographed Cycas revoluta. Spend a day there. (Contributed by Bruce & Suzie Ironmonger, CA)

• Quail Botanical Gardens
  230 Quail Gardens Drive
  Encinitas, CA
  Phone (760) 436-3036
  Good collection of cycads with many coning Encephalartos. See Tim Phillips who is in charge of the cycads. Quail hosts a Palm and Cycad Sale on the last weekend in May. (Contributed by Bruce & Suzie Ironmonger, CA)

• Cycads Tres
  Cycads at the University of California, Riverside
• GannaWalska Lotusland
  Santa Barbara, California USA
  The property was purchased in 1939 (40 acres for approx. 40k) by Madame GannaWalska, a 6-time-married-and-divorced diva who apparently was a very good house-keeper...every time she got divorced, she kept the house. Parlaying her settlements into a well-stuffed foundation, she turned her attentions from partying and socializing to gardening and accumulating the rare and beautiful plants to be had in the 50's, 60's and 70's.  The bulk of the cycad garden (one of eleven "theme" gardens) consists of specimen size Encephalartos including three E. woodii that are now over seven feet tall. The majority of the plants were provided by Loran Whitelock and the other principal purveyors of the day. The garden was planted in 1979 and has grown and prospered ever since (though the cycad garden has had its share of setbacks).  It is quite interesting to review the "secret" photo album compiled by Charlie Glass, one of the creators of the garden which he compiled at the time the plants first went into the ground.  In secret because Madame disdained record-keeping and did not want her private garden to be a botanic garden with labels and data.  Anyway, it is a rare opportunity to see the rate of growth of many cycad taxa in cultivation here in Santa Barbara.  The garden also features a number of Ceratozamia, Dioon, and smatterings of the "other" genera as well.  Madame GannaWalska died in 1984 at or about the age of 94, depending which of her 3 birth certificates you believe.  She generously endowed the foundation to preserve and promote her estate and garden into perpetuity so us commoners could have a look-see. If you have never been, you are missing out.  It is a horticultural extravaganza for a number of plant groups (aloes, euphorbias, cactus, agaves, beaucarnias, palms, begonias, ferns, water lilies (especially lotus-duh!) as well as cycads. (Contributed by Jeff Chemnick, CA)

• San Diego Zoo
  San Diego, CA
  Good selection of cycads and palms. (Contributed by Bruce & Suzie Ironmonger, CA)

• San Diego Wild Animal Park
  San Diego, CA
  Plantings of cycads throughout the Park. (Contributed by Bruce & Suzie Ironmonger, CA)

• Foster Botanical Garden
  Honolulu, HI
  Their selection of cycads and palms isn't overwhelming, but it's very nice. Probably a couple of dozen species of cycad (if memory serves, Cycas, Zamia, Dioon, Ceratozamia, Stangeria) and a number of palms as well. For those visiting Honolulu it's a very nice tranquil respite within a busy city. Entry is $5. (Contributed by Pete Clapham, OH)

• Brackenridge Field Laboratory 
  BFL's living cycads (Cycadaceae) were originally given to the University of Texas, Austin by the University of Chicago--from the collection of C.J. Chamberlain.

• San Antonio Botanical Gardens
  San Antonio, TX

• Garfield Park Conservatory
  Chicago, IL
  (312) 746-5100
  I was amazed to see such huge specimens greenhoused in a relatively unknown, but beautiful setting! Though the represented taxa are few (I recall approximately 2 Encephalartos, 3 Dioon, 3 Ceratozamia, 2 Cycas, and 2 Zamia species/types) there are healthy numbers of each species and most are the largest that I have ever seen in under glass.  Many are now hitting the ceiling and will have to be relocated someday soon. Apparently these plants represent some of  Chamberlain's collection and are quite old in "cultivation years" (a term, like "dog years", that ought to have some significance, somehow). The Conservatory is open every day of the year and is free. Not to be missed if you are in Chicago. (Contributed by Jeff Chemnick, CA)

• Missouri Botanical Gardens
  St. Louis, MO

• Phipps Conservatory
  1 Schenley Park, Pittsburgh PA 15213-3830
  A small but interesting glasshouse collection.

Mexico

• Jardin Botanico Francisco Javier Clavijero
  Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. (Apdo Postal 63, Xalapa, Ver., 91000 Mexico).
  This regional botanic garden, though very young in comparison with the larger botanic gardens of the world, houses the Mexican National Cycad Collection.

UK and Europe

• Moor Bank Garden
  Dept of Biological and Nutritional Sciences, Newcastle University, England
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  Richmond, Surrey, England
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
  Edinburgh, Scotland
• National Botanic Gardens
  Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland
• Aberystwyth Botanic Gardens Tropical Glasshouse
  University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales
• Palm-Garden
  by the City of Frankfurt, Germany

• Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle
  43 Rue de Buffon, 75005 Paris, France

• Montpellier Botanic Gardens
  France

• Monte Palace Tropical Garden
  Madeira, Portugal
  Although not European mainland, it is part of the E.C., being Portugese. This garden is magnificent, and has a very good collection of mature Encephalartos. (Contributed by Val Dennison, Ireland)

• Pamplemousses Garden
  Mauritius
  Tel: 243-3531
  Among the finest botanical gardens in the world, it was created in 1735 by Mahé de Labourdonnais with "le Chateau de Mon Plaisir" once his residence. Its 60-acre garden contains approximately 500 different species of plants out of which 80 are palms. A special interest should be paid to: the giant water-lilies (Victoria Regia); the spice garden and the Talipot Palms, said to flower every 60 years after which they die. 

• Orto Botanico di Napoli (Naples Botanic Garden)--Part of the University of Naples
  223, Via Foria
  Naples, Italy
  Telefono: 081-449759 
  The finest research collection of cycads in Europe. Visits by appointment only.

• Botanic Gardens of the University of Rome
  Piazzale Aldo Moro - I 00185
  Rome, Italy
  Tel: +390649911

• Botanic Gardens of Palermo, Sicily

• Pinetum Blijdenstein
  Hilversum, The Netherlands

• The Bundesgarten Schonbrunn
  Vienna, Austria

• The Botanic Gardens of Amsterdam
  Plantage Middelaan 2A, 1018DD Holland

• Botanical Gardens of Copenhagen
  Copenhagen, Denmark
  Here in Scandinavia I think we can find the best and biggest collection of cycads at the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen, Denmark, just beside the new art gallery.

• Uppsala Botanical Gardens
  Sweden
  Peter Lindblad is the cycad researcher at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. He is conducting research of the energy created from the corraloid-roots, if I understand it right. He has also brought some cycads to the Uppsala Botanical Garden for use in his research. (Contributed by Jan Andersson, Sweden)

Asia

• Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden
  Sattahip Chonburi Thailand
• Fairy Lake Botanic Garden
  Shenzhen PR China
• South China Botanic Garden
  Guangzhou Guangdong PR China

Australia

• Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
  Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney
• The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
  North Terrace, Adelaide
  Includes ten genera and approximately 79 named species.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
  South Yarra Melbourne
• Townsville Palmetum
  Townsville City Council
  PO Box 1268
  TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810
  Ph: 07 - 4722 0374 Fax: 07 - 4725 3290
• Rockhampton Botanic Gardens
  Rockhampton City Council
  PO Box 243
  ROCKHAMPTON QLD 4700
  Ph: 07 - 4922 8704 Fax: 07 - 4922 1700
• Flecker Botanic Gardens, Cairns
  Cairns City Council
  PO Box 359
  CAIRNS QLD 4870
  Ph: 07 - 4050 2454, 07 - 4050 2482 Fax: 07 - 4032 1183
• Darwin Botanic Gardens
  PO Box 496
  PALMERSTON NT 0831
  Ph: 08 - 8981 1958 Fax: 08 - 8981 1647

South Africa

• Botanical Garden
  Department of Botany, University of Pretoria
• Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden
  National Botanical Institute, Capetown

Cycads in private gardens:

• Montgomery Botanical Center
  Private research facility specializing in palms and cycads
  Miami, Florida USA

• Les Cedres
  Private garden of the Marnier family
  St Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France

• Thuret Garden
  Antibes, France

• Portici Botanic Gardens
  Part of the Royal Palace of Portici, Italy
  Fantastic collection of Welwitschia. Visits by appointment.

• Giardini La Mortella
  Private garden of Sir William Walton, the British composer, and his Argentinian wife, Lady Susana (est. 1958)
  Voted the "most beautiful garden of Italy" in 2004
  Located on the Island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples, Italy

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