FOSTER BOTANICAL GARDEN
A Hidden Green Oasis in Downtown Honolulu
Searching for an interesting place to visit? Look no further than Honolulu's best-kept secret, the Foster Botanical Garden. This green paradise offers not only a stunning variety of plants but also a peaceful escape from city life.
Foster Botanical Garden underwent a renovation in 2023, reopening with redesigned landscaping, a new entrance, and a new ramp that improves accessibility. Interconnected walkways link the diverse themed gardens, offering visitors a more enjoyable experience.
Downtown Honolulu is usually a destination for foodies; with James Beard-award winning Fete, Michelin-level Podmore, and other must-visit spots like the ultra-delicious smash burger joint, The Daley, there’s always a delicious meal to be had.
But did you know that amidst the eateries and city hustle, there is a 14-acre tropical wonderland?
A Buddha statue, a replica of the Great Buddha of Kamakura, celebrates Japanese immigration to Hawai`i at the Foster Botanical Garden.
The Foster Botanical Garden is the city’s oldest botaninical garden. It showcases a magnificent plant collection and trees with unique historical and cultural value. Whether you're looking for a nature walk, the perfect backdrop for a photo, or even looking to tie the knot in a small but poetic ceremony, Foster Botanical Garden is a great destination.
Bo Terrace is the site of this awesome gazebo.
Wander beneath towering trees, some of which date back to 1853.
One of Foster Botanical Garden's show-stopping attractions is the Corpse Flower. No, it's not a plant from a horror movie; it’s an exotic flower known for its towering height and, ahem, unique aroma. Foster’s conservatory has hosted numerous blooms of this rare flower, complete with time-lapse videos to capture its unique life cycle.
Corpse flower blooming at the Foster Botanical Garden
Curious how this garden came it be? Dr. William Hillebrand, a royal physician to Queen Kalama and King Kamehameha III, was fascinated by plants and became a renowned botanist. Hillebrand eventually returned to Germany, where he published Flora of the Hawaiian Islands, and sold his home to shipping entrepreneur Captain Thomas Foster and his wife Mary Mikahala Robinson Foster.
A monk brought a cutting of the Bodhi tree to Mary Foster as a gift. Mary later converted to Buddhism and financed Hawaii's first Buddhist temple, the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
There are 20 exceptional trees at the garden, such as the famous giant Bodhi tree, a descendant of the original tree in India under which the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) sat and gained enlightenment.
In 1930, Mary Foster bequeathed the property as a gift to the City and County of Honolulu as a public garden, under the direction of Dr. Harold Lyon, a botanist and plant pathologist (who later went on to found Lyon Arboretum).
So, if you're in downtown Honolulu and feel the need for some green therapy, you know where to go!