Summer’s bright blooms may be fading, but fall brings a totally different kind of magic to the plant world. The air turns crisp, crowds thin out, and tree canopies transform into a breathtaking display of crimson, amber, and gold.
World Botanical Gardens Day falls on the second Friday of October, making it the perfect excuse to explore these living museums. Grab your favorite sweater and check out these six remarkable botanical gardens around the globe that truly come alive during the fall months.
Villa Taranto Botanical Gardens—Italy
Perched on the scenic shores of Lake Maggiore, Villa Taranto puts on a vibrant show as summer fades into fall. The star of the season is the famous Dahlia Labyrinth (Labirinto delle Dalie), where over 1,700 dahlia plants across more than 350 varieties burst into a kaleidoscope of color from late July right through the end of October. Wander the maze as the surrounding chestnut and maple trees start turning gold, and you’ve got yourself an Italian fall fairytale you won’t want to miss.
Montreal Botanical Garden—Canada
Widely considered one of the greatest botanical gardens on the planet, Montreal goes all out when fall rolls around. The 185-acre (75-hectare) grounds transform into a sweeping canvas of North American fall foliage, but the real showstopper is the annual Gardens of Light festival. Every year from early September through the beginning of November, the Chinese, Japanese, and First Nations gardens glow with hundreds of intricately crafted silk lanterns after dark. It’s a completely different, almost dreamlike way to experience the garden once the sun goes down.
Prague Botanical Garden (Troja)—Czech Republic
Fall in Prague has a certain old-world romance to it, and the garden in Troja offers a lovely dual experience. The Japanese Garden takes on warm, golden-red hues that make for a wonderfully tranquil stroll, while the historic St. Clare’s Vineyard adds a festive touch to the grounds. In October, the garden’s beloved pumpkin exhibition takes place, filling the grounds with festive displays and Halloween-worthy charm.
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum—United Kingdom
Technically an arboretum rather than a classic botanical garden, Westonbirt is still Europe’s premier destination for leaf-peeping. Home to around 2,500 tree species from across the globe, it’s world-famous for its Japanese maple collection. From late September through October, those maples ignite into brilliant shades of red, purple, and orange, turning the woodland paths into something out of a postcard. If a picture-perfect stroll beneath a fiery canopy is on your fall bucket list, this is the place.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden—Japan
Tokyo may be famous for its cherry blossoms, but fall at Shinjuku Gyoen is every bit as stunning. The garden beautifully blends French Formal, English Landscape, and traditional Japanese styles all in one sprawling space. By November, the grounds are ablaze with neon-yellow ginkgo trees and fiery red maples, and the garden hosts its long-running Chrysanthemum Exhibition, a cherished fall tradition showcasing meticulously trained flower displays with ties to Japan’s Imperial Family.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden—USA
New York City in fall is iconic in its own right, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a proper sanctuary of seasonal beauty. As temperatures drop, the Native Flora Garden and the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden put on a striking display of fall color, with maples turning shades of orange, red, and purple. Keep an eye out for late-season bloomers like asters and toad lilies scattered throughout the grounds. And if a chilly breeze rolls in, the Steinhardt Conservatory is right there to warm you back up among its tropical and desert plant collections.
World Botanical Gardens Day is a good reminder that botanical gardens are worth visiting long after spring’s first blossoms have faded. So this October, take the opportunity to explore one near you—or add one of these six destinations to your travel list. You might discover that fall is one of the best times of year to see a garden in a whole new light.
