The botanical garden of UC Berkeley houses a spectacular display of plants, a massive and stinky corpse flower, and a refuge of a rose garden with a panoramic view of the bay.

And -- in the season between the autumn rains and late spring -- there's an added attraction in the Japanese pool: newts and courting newts.

Even if you're ambivalent about amphibians, you might be curious about the creature that holds enough political sway in Berkeley to shut down roads. South Park Drive in Tilden Park closes for an entire season to allow for safe newt migration.

They're fascinating to watch. But the slime of newt is toxic so please don't handle them -- nor disturb them in any way, after their arduous trek to the pools. It's the newt's big chance to find a mate and the last thing he (or she) needs is humans messing up a good thing.

If you're going for the newts alone, phone ahead to see if the newts are in. There is a general admission charge for the botanical garden.

See a map of the UC Berkeley area including the UC Botanical Garden.

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden
200 Centennial Drive
Berkeley, CA
Tel: 510-643-2755
Open Daily (with a few exceptions): 9a to 5p

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}