When you envision a day trip to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, you may imagine meeting the playful polar bear sisters, exploring the newly reopened Tropical Reef Aquarium, or taking a spin on the antique carousel, a bag of cotton candy in hand.
You may not realize there is a world of other adventures and learning throughout this 29-acre gem of a park in the heart of Tacoma. Those adventures attract people (and happy bees) for another unique and memorable experience.
World-renowned gardeners, landscape designers, horticulturists, botanists, educators, and general plant lovers come to Point Defiance Zoo to see the gardens. Some plants and trees are rare, on various endangered lists, or just cool, like the South African honeybush. Its leaves smell like a fresh jar of creamy peanut butter.“We have something really special here,” said Zoo Horticulturalist Bryon, as he surveys the varied gardens he’s been curating and nurturing for nearly two decades. Bryon and his team of hardworking zoo staff and volunteers maintain the beautiful gardens and educate guests about them through various tours. He loves attracting other “plant nerds” to Tacoma, but he’s equally giddy when a guest stops and says, “I’ve never really thought about plants, but what are these things?”
The mild Puget Sound area and all the micro-climates within the zoo make it the perfect place to grow plants from all over the world, from South America and Australia to Asia and Africa. And if you see a prickly blue agave or a towering Monkey Puzzle tree thriving in the zoo’s gardens, chances are there is a spot in your yard where some of these same species might also happily take root.
“We’ve worked hard to show animals in their native habitats. And we want to do that for the plants in our gardens too,” said Nicole, interpretive program specialist at the zoo. She loves the moment guests first enter the zoo and look toward the towering Desert Garden that sticks out in the rainy Pacific Northwest, like Dorothy in Oz.
The Desert Garden is one of Bryon’s favorites, and it draws a lot of questions. He has an entire tour dedicated to explaining how creating excellent drainage helps these pokey cacti, succulents, aloes, fan palms, and more flourish.
The Asian Forest Sanctuary features 45 types of temperate bamboo with stems in a variety of colors, even green and white stripes. When the wind blows, the bamboo sways back and forth and make a shooshing sound like music.
The Red Wolf Woods Garden features giant hibiscus and plants from the southeastern United States, home to the critically endangered red wolf species. People of all ages love to learn about the Pitcher plants that lure insects into their harmless-looking leaves and then eat them.
The Wild World Wonders Garden, located in the beds from the zoo entrance to the Wild Wonder Outdoor Theater, features lion’s head maple, manzanita, clumps of colorful Japanese forest grasses, and much more. There are also many rare and endangered things to see, like a Jurassic-era Wollemi pine from Australia that was rediscovered in 1994.
Of course, native Northwest favorites can be found too, and folks can learn more about plants that are low-maintenance, deer- and pest-resistant, and require lower water usage. The Pollinator Garden in Kids’ Zone will have you excited to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds to your own space.
Not only are the plants grown at the zoo interesting to see and learn about, but they also offer enrichment and snacks for many animals who call the zoo home. Animal care team members can cut willow, mulberry, bananas, and forest grass for their animals to enjoy and palm fronds for animals to play with. Local wildlife also like to pollinate the variety of plants and pick up supplies for nests. And, of course, nuts from the Monkey Puzzle Tree are squirrel favorites.
There are several options to see the gardens from self-guided tours (lots of plants around the Zoo have placards), to themed monthly Botanical Garden Tours and personalized Zoo For You Botanical Tours. Head to the pdza.org for more information and plan your visit.
Monthly Botanical Garden Tours
Join horticulturalist Bryon on the first Sunday of every month for a public tour with a different theme every month. These public tours are free with admission or membership, and reservations are not required. https://www.pdza.org/discover/plants/garden-tours/
Zoo For You Botanical Tours
Want to spend more time with our plants and plant experts? Reserve your spot on a 60-minute, small-group tour that can be customized based on participants’ interests. This unique experience is limited to 10 people. The cost is $25 for members/$45 for non-members and includes zoo admission. Tours are offered Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:45 a.m.-11:45 am.
https://www.pdza.org/discover/zoo-for-you/
Self-guided Tours
Stroll the zoo and experience our unique botanical gardens at your own pace. Look for colorful placards with species names and other details.