园区概况
德斯坎索花园（Descanso Gardens）坐落于加利福尼亚州拉卡尼亚达弗林特里奇（La Cañada Flintridge），位于洛杉矶都市区东北方向约20分钟车程处。花园占地150英亩（约61公顷），融合了精心培育的花园与近乎原始的自然景观，是南加州地区重要的城市植物园与博物馆。
德斯坎索花园于1953年正式向公众开放，2004年获得美国博物馆联盟（American Alliance of Museums）认证，被评为”活体收藏博物馆”（museum of living collections）。每年接待游客近百万，是洛杉矶地区备受欢迎的生态旅游目的地，同时也是美国植物学会（American Public Gardens Association）的重要成员。
创立历史
德斯坎索花园的土地历史可追溯至数千年前，图拉族（Tongva）原住民曾是这片土地的主人，世代依靠丰富的橡树资源为生。1842年，西班牙殖民时期，这片土地被划入传教体系。19世纪美墨战争后，土地归属美国。
1930年代后期，实业家伊利亚斯·曼彻斯特·博迪（Elias Manchester Boddy）买下165英亩未开发土地，建造私人牧场与宅邸。1940年代，博迪聘请著名园艺学家霍华德·阿斯珀（Howard Asper）照料其日益壮大的山茶花收藏，并与日裔美国种植者建立合作——包括星苗圃的F.M. Uyematsu以及传教士苗圃的Fred和Mitoko Yoshimura。二战期间，日裔美国人被强制转移，博迪收购了他们的山茶花库存，由此奠定了德斯坎索花园山茶花收藏的基础。
二战后，随着住宅开发增多，博迪于1953年将庄园捐出，由洛杉矶县收购并改建为公共花园。1957年，”德斯坎索花园协会”（Descanso Gardens Guild）成立，为花园提供管理与资金支持。1993年，协会正式接管花园运营至今。
特色花园
国际玫瑰园（International Rosarium）：占地5英亩（约2公顷），拥有超过1600株玫瑰，涵盖数百年的品种演变历史，包括古老月季（Old Garden Roses）、杂交月季（Hybrid Teas）、大花月季（Grandifloras）以及地被月季（Groundcover Roses）等。玫瑰园于1994年建成开放，是花园中最具国际视野的品种收藏之一。
日本园（Japanese Garden）：1966年正式开放，由园艺学家布恩（Nub）设计，日裔美国社区提供资助与志愿者支持建造。园内包含经典的日式园林元素：石灯笼、枯山水、锦鲤池、修剪整齐的松柏以及多种亚洲植物。1969年，Bob和Mary Matsumoto夫妇捐赠并建造了一座传统的民家式农舍（Minka），内部展示日式生活空间与艺术品。
橡树森林（Oak Forest）：由当地原始橡树林演化而来，园内大多数橡树树龄在100至150年之间，高度可达60英尺以上。这些加州黑橡树（California Black Oak）是南加州地区珍贵的百年橡树保护区，也是许多野生动物的栖息家园。林下植被包括野花、本土灌木和蕨类，构成完整的生态群落。
远古森林（Ancient Forest）：2015年开放，展示了恐龙时代的远古植物——苏铁（cycads）等”活化石”植物。这些植物起源于距今约2.8亿年前的古生代，是地球上现存最古老的种子植物之一。游客穿行于精心设计的步道，可近距离观察这些来自远古地质时期的珍稀物种，感受地球植物演化的漫长历程。远古森林还配有专业解说牌，介绍每种植物的古植物学知识。
加州花园（California Garden）：展现了加州本地植物的丰富多样性，种植了如灌木猴花（Penstemon）、加州罂粟（California Poppy）、黑眼睛苏珊（Rudbeckia）和景观草等本土花卉与植被。花园采用节水灌溉系统，展现干旱气候条件下的本土景观美学，是加州本土植物教育的理想场所。
山茶花收藏（Camellia Collection）：德斯坎索花园最具历史意义的收藏，讲述了一段二战期间日裔美国种植者与花园之间的独特历史渊源。花园现收藏超过1400株山茶花，涵盖数百个品种，其中部分珍稀品种仅在德斯坎索可见。每年山茶花花季（通常为1月至3月），花园举办山茶花节（Camellia Festival）庆祝这一盛事。
丁香花园（Lilac Garden）：大多数丁香适应寒冷气候，但德斯坎索花园的专家通过数十年品种创新，培育出可适应南加州温暖气候的杂交丁香品种。这一独特的园艺突破使德斯坎索成为世界上少数能在温暖气候下成功展示丁香花的植物园之一。
草药花园（Herb Garden）：种植了来自世界各地的食用与药用植物，包括薰衣草、迷迭香、鼠尾草、薄荷等传统草本植物，并配有解说牌介绍其烹饪与药用历史。
德斯坎索铁路（Descanso Railroad）：一条精心维护的迷你铁路穿过橡树森林，轨道蜿蜒约1英里，沿途经过微缩景观、桥梁和隧道深受儿童和家庭游客喜爱，是花园中最具童趣的游览体验。
研究与保护
德斯坎索花园是美国植物学会认证的”活体收藏博物馆”，致力于植物种质资源保护与可持续园艺研究。花园的核心研究领域包括：
山茶花种质资源保护：花园建立了北美最重要的山茶花种质资源库之一，对濒危和珍稀山茶花品种进行迁地保护，定期进行品种鉴定、繁殖与更新，确保遗传多样性不被丢失。
抗旱植物研究：鉴于加州频繁的干旱气候，花园长期开展抗旱园艺试验，筛选适合南加州气候条件的耐旱观赏植物品种，并将其研究成果免费向公众与园艺行业推广。
本土植物生态研究：花园与加州大学等研究机构合作，开展本土植物生态学研究，重点关注橡树林生态修复、本土野花种群动态以及传粉昆虫与植物的共生关系。
碳中和与可持续运营：花园积极推进碳中和目标，采用有机堆肥、雨水收集系统、可再生能源和生物防治等可持续园艺实践，努力降低运营对环境的影响。
教育与培训
德斯坎索花园的教育项目面向从学龄前儿童到专业园艺师的全年龄段受众：
学校科普项目：花园为K-12年级学生提供涵盖自然科学、生态学、植物学的实地教学课程。学生可参与植物生长观察、土壤研究、昆虫识别等实践活动，将课堂知识与自然体验相结合。花园还为 homeschooling 家庭提供专属科普日。
成人教育工作坊：定期举办涵盖有机园艺、节水园林设计、本土植物种植、堆肥制作等主题的实践工作坊，面向园艺爱好者与专业人士。所有工作坊均由花园专业园艺师团队授课。
园艺实习与志愿者项目：花园为园艺、景观设计、环境科学等相关专业学生和从业者提供实习机会。志愿者项目面向全年开放，参与者可在资深园艺师的指导下，参与种植、场地维护、植物繁殖、活动协助、导游讲解等多种岗位，累计贡献时间可获得证书与推荐信。
专业认证培训：花园与加州大学合作开设专业园艺培训课程，完成学习后可获得美国园艺学会（American Horticultural Society）认可的继续教育学分，为园艺师资格晋升提供支持。
公共科普讲座：每年举办多场公开讲座，邀请植物学家、生态学家和知名园艺作家分享最新研究成果与行业趋势，内容涵盖传粉昆虫保护、气候变化对园艺的影响、可食用花园设计等前沿话题。
官方联系方式
官方网站：https://www.descansogardens.org
Park Overview
Descanso Gardens is a 150-acre botanical garden and living museum located in La Cañada Flintridge, approximately 20 minutes northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The garden features a harmonious blend of meticulously cultivated gardens and nearly wild natural landscapes. Established in 1953 as a public garden, Descanso Gardens earned museum accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2004 and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association. The garden welcomes nearly one million visitors annually.
Founding History
The land that is now Descanso Gardens has a history stretching back thousands of years. The Tongva people were the original inhabitants, relying on the abundant oak groves for food and sustenance. During the Spanish colonial period, the land was incorporated into California’s mission system. Following the Mexican-American War, the territory became part of the United States.
In the late 1930s, entrepreneur Elias Manchester Boddy purchased 165 acres of undeveloped land and established a private ranch and residence. In the 1940s, Boddy hired noted horticulturist Howard Asper to tend his growing camellia collection, and connected with successful Japanese-American growers—F.M. Uyematsu of Star Nursery and Fred and Mitoko Yoshimura of Mission Nursery. Following Executive Order 9066 in 1942, Boddy purchased their remaining camellia inventories. This acquisition formed the foundation of Descanso Gardens’ signature Camellia Collection.
After World War II, Boddy opened his estate to the public in 1953. Concerned neighbors persuaded the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to purchase the property, transforming it into a public garden. In 1957, the Descanso Gardens Guild was organized to provide direction and funding. In 1993, the Guild formally took over management under a contract with L.A. County.
Notable Gardens
The International Rosarium, established in 1994, covers five acres with over 1,600 roses, showcasing centuries of rose breeding history including Old Garden Roses, Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and Groundcover Roses. The Japanese Garden, opened in 1966, was designed with input from the local Japanese-American community and features traditional elements: stone lanterns, a koi pond, pruned pines, and a Minka farmhouse added in 1969 by Bob and Mary Matsumoto. The Oak Forest preserves remnants of the local forest, with California Black Oak trees aged 100 to 150 years—a rare remnant of Southern California’s original landscape. The Ancient Forest, opened in 2015, features prehistoric cycads and other “living fossil” plants from the age of dinosaurs, with interpretive signage explaining their paleobotanical significance. The California Garden showcases drought-tolerant native species including Penstemon, California Poppy, and ornamental grasses. The Camellia Collection—the garden’s most historically significant collection—includes over 1,400 plants representing hundreds of cultivars, many rare and endangered. The garden hosts the annual Camellia Festival each spring. The Lilac Garden features hybrid lilacs specially developed to thrive in Southern California’s warm climate—a unique horticultural achievement. The Herb Garden cultivates culinary and medicinal plants from around the world. The Descanso Railroad, a one-mile miniature railway winding through the Oak Forest, delights children and families with scaled landscapes, bridges, and tunnels.
Research & Conservation
As an accredited living collections museum, Descanso Gardens is committed to plant conservation and sustainable horticulture research. Key programs include: Camellia Germplasm Conservation—maintaining one of North America’s most significant camellia collections, with endangered cultivars preserved through propagation and database documentation. Drought-Tolerant Plant Research—conducting trials on ornamental plants suited to California’s recurring droughts, with findings shared freely with the public and horticulture industry. Native Plant Ecology—collaborating with UC and other institutions on oak woodland restoration, wildflower population dynamics, and pollinator-plant relationships. Carbon Neutrality—pursuing carbon neutrality through organic composting, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy, and biological pest management.
Education & Training
Descanso Gardens offers educational programming for all ages from preschoolers to professional horticulturists. School Programs provide K-12 science and ecology curriculum-aligned field trips with hands-on activities in plant growth observation, soil science, and insect identification. Adult Workshops cover organic gardening, water-wise landscape design, native plant cultivation, and composting, taught by the garden’s professional horticulture staff. Horticulture Internships and Volunteer Programs provide hands-on training under senior horticulturists for students and professionals in horticulture, landscape architecture, and environmental science—completing volunteer hours earns certificates and letters of recommendation. Professional Certification courses, offered in partnership with the University of California, provide continuing education credits recognized by the American Horticultural Society. Public Lectures feature botanists, ecologists, and gardening authors discussing topics from pollinator conservation to climate-resilient garden design.
Contact Information
Official Website: https://www.descansogardens.org
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