Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens feature more than 300 species of plants in nine formal gardens.

In his original creation, H.J. Lutcher Stark employed techniques such as color variation, water reflection, and views into his design, saying "I'm working with nature, trying to paint this scene with the most beautiful colors nature will give me." The Botanical Gardens of the new Shangri La expand on this example and depend heavily on concepts familiar to every artist, including line, shape, texture, contrast, and color. In addition, the new Shangri La will display the great diversity of plants found throughout the world.

Within the Botanical Gardens are five garden "rooms" representing these artistic concepts: The Line Garden,, The Shape Garden, The Texture Garden, The Color Garden, and The Contrast Garden. There are also two historic gardens: The Pond of the Blue Moon and The Hanging Gardens. The Pond of the Blue Moon pays tribute to the original Shangri-La, featuring 41 varieties of azaleas – some of which belonged to H.J. Lutcher Stark in his original Shangri-La. The Hanging Gardens are also an original garden in Lutcher Stark’s Shangri-La. Please click the links below to learn more about each of these gardens.

NOTE: The main pathway that encircles the Botanical Gardens is approximately one mile in length, and a full walking tour may require 45–60 minutes. As walking is an essential part of the Gardens experience, visitors should plan accordingly and make determinations based on their own abilities and endurance.

	The Line Garden Lines make up the composition of this garden, with most plants growing in confident vertical lines and others in contrasting horizontal patterns. A prominent plant is the horsetail (Equisetum), an... Read More
	The Hanging Garden This terraced area was replanted in honor of H.J. Lutcher Stark, who likely created this garden in his original Shangri-La to indulge his interest in exotic tropical plants. The new version in today... Read More
	The Color Garden The Color Garden demonstrates the many shades of one single color that can be seen in nature. One can forget that pink is a shade of bright red, with many other shades in between. As the seasons change... Read More
	The Contrast Garden This garden takes advantage of the huge variety of color that plants express. Like a living color wheel, the plants in this garden complement each other. Visitors may see gold and purple or green and... Read More
	The Shape Garden This garden includes plants that can grow naturally in a specific shape or be trimmed to create one. Shapes in this garden include columns, circles, squares, pyramids, and more. A prominent plant is the... Read More
	The Texture Garden This garden features visual and physical elements of texture. The specimens in The Texture Garden express texture in a visual way - you’ll notice qualities of coarseness or fineness through leaf... Read More
	Bird Blind The state-of-the-art bird blind at Shangri La allows visitors an up-close look at the birds nesting within Shangri La’s Ruby Lake. The lake is approximately 15 acres and provides a home to more... Read More
	Heronry Shangri La’s Ruby Lake has become a heronry for as many as 17 species of birds that nest there at various times of the year. These birds have chosen this spot because they are close to food... Read More
	Water Wall Read More
	Pond of the Blue Moon In James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon, the mystical Shangri La was located in a valley called the Valley of the Blue Moon. Within Shangri La, the Pond of the Blue Moon is the area chosen to reflect... Read More
	Magnolia Terrace Check back soon for details.
	Cypress Gate Check back soon for details.
	Frog Ponds Read More