Kula Botanical Gardens

Our group of all ages really enjoyed this place. The kids loved feeding the fish and the adults enjoyed seeing plants that we haven’t seen in SoCal. The owners have put their heart and souls into the property for decades and it shows!

We really enjoyed our visit. They have a wide variety of plants from all over the world. It helps that many are labeled. There are many peaceful nooks and the views from the hillsides are awesome. The gardens are compact and can be viewed in less than two hours. The owners and staff were friendly and helpful.

Small botanical garden that reminded me of an overgrown backyard. Not what we were expecting. Gardens on Honolulu & Kaui are much better. 4 stars for the friendly staff.

$ 10/​person entrance fee. We asked patron coming out if it was worth it. Her reply: definitely. So we paid up and entered. There are lots of tropical plants, well labeled. You can easily spend 45 – 60 minutes walking through here. Several weaknesses we noticed: aviary seemed sparsely stocked with only doves and love birds, lots of plants could use tending, koi pond grungy. But we enjoyed our walk through. Is it worth it? Probably.

Nice Environment to roam and relax look and talk, more for Guests then Locals. A spot at part of a Visit Up-​County. I see a spot as part day trip upcounty but not really a main event of a trip. Nice gardens and walking paths I agree it would been to see more thing in bloom, but I think the seasons and weather have more to do with that then Operator.

We’re a family that was looking for a place to set our toddler free to roam and enjoy some island botanical scenery. This is a perfect reflecting place for people of all ages. Great landscaping and an awesome koi pond with available fish food at the garden entrance. Well maintained garden with a wide variety of botanics. If you’re into nature walks it’s well worth the trip.

This is very awesome and cute garden. Despite on small size, it has everything! We really enoyed the walk. Beautiful plants and beautiful places for taking pictures!

Worth a visit to see the beautiful plants, koi pond and garden art. Be sure to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts for protection from the hungry mosquitoes in the area. Located in a very tropical area in the high country on the island of Maui. The entrance fee is super reasonable. A small gift shop welcomes visitors. Friendly staff. Be prepared for rain which is common in this lush area. Guest umbrellas are available for use while touring the garden. Bring your camera to capture the beautiful blooms and vistas.

Worth 10 bucks. We just wished they did more maintenence to keep up the grounds better. Not as many flowers as we were expecting.

This place is a small gem.
For $ 10 you get to see a few things, not a lot. But I think it’s family owned. So supporting the locals is where it’s at.

I’ve been to the botanical gardens in Mendocino, CA and was expecting a similar experience. Major disappointment. At $ 18 a person, save your time and money.

I’m not a flower/​garden type of brah… even though I have ink on my bod that reflects the opposite… but this spot is sick.
Very colorful, well-preserved…lots and lots and lots of varieties of flora to peep.
It’s pretty high up the mountain and the views from the top of the slope is hella ill.
It’s $ 10 to get in… worth every cent.
Mahalo and Mele Kalikimaka Kama’aina

This botanical garden is close to Haleakala National Park. We stopped here on our way back to the hotel because I’m a fool for gardens! They had a beautiful pond with Koi fish in it. I enjoyed sitting there watching them. I loved all the different flowers especially the proteas. They were nice and big. I really wanted to take some home but I was told the only way to grow them is from a fresh cut plant. I was surprised that you can’t grow them from a seed.
It was a relaxing way to enjoy an hour out of the day. It’s a nice place to clear your head and walk off your lunch!

One thing I miss about visits to Maui are all the small attractions often ignored by the larger tourist community. It seems in this day and age, no one wants to just explore the island, visit educational places, or find someplace cool to relax and enjoy the island. Too many people go here just to be pampered in tourist-​trap resorts, spend ridiculous money on helicopter rides, or sit around on the beach. In the meantime, they ignore the real magic of Hawai‘i… including places like this.
Kula Botanical Gardens is a small privately owned garden set in the temperate upcountry area on Haleakala aptly named «Kula». Things up here are a little cooler, not always sunny, and more relaxing from the hustle and bustle along the shores. This garden gives you a nice self-​guided walking tour of plants from all over the world that grow in the lush environment of Maui. You’ll be treated to tropical flowers, palm trees, eucalyptus, a wide variety of gingers, and plenty of places to just sit and take in the sights and smells. In addition, there are a few small places to see things like some local birds or a koi pond.
Although not big, you can spend quite some time wandering the grounds. They recommend giving yourself 45 minutes, but we took over an hour to meander about. Some people balk at the $ 10/​person charge to see some plants, but it’s still way cheaper than most other activities on the island and well worth it. The only warning is for those who are handicapped; although there is a ramp and a central walkway, the whole place is on a steep hill so it may be a bit taxing for some.
So, try and take a step away from the usual tourist-​y nonsense. Head off the beaten path and visit the real Maui. Even if you don’t learn something about local flora and fauna, you might just have a zen moment within these peaceful gardens.

31 Unilocal Review Challenge: ¹¹⁄₃₁
I agree with Brian I. in that the Kula Botanical Gardens isn’t so much a destination as it is a pit stop. We came across it on our way down from Haleakala, on our way to the Lavender fields. I was a bit turned off by the fact that admission was $ 10/​person with no Kama’aina discounts. However, the cashier helped us out by offering to give us a slight discount via a print coupon.
We had about an hour to kill so we walked around the property (I believe it is 5 acres) and the various flowers and plants were quite pretty. My only wish is that they elaborated on the specifics of the items in the garden. I’m not much a a gardener so there were lots of interesting plants which I knew nothing about.
The landscaping is done really nicely in the garden. The bird sanctuary is a bit anti-​climatic (this is coming from a person who has a drastic phobia of birds). The koi pond is a nice touch, but again… anti-​climatic.
I had never heard of a white bird of paradise it until we were at the garden, but unfortunately none of theirs were in bloom.

Amazing family owned garden on Maui.
The verdant garden is nestled in the beautiful slopes of Haleakala in Kula. Breathtaking. Not just because of the altitude, but the bi-​coastal view down below. What makes this extral special is you personally get to talk stories to the owners.
Follow the path and it will lead you to many nooks and ponds. Be on the lookout for Jackson chameleons, the highlight of my little cutie pie! We had a hard time looking for him and he was just right in front of us… slowly walking, with his eyes looking independently forward and backward. A very serene walk, GREAT for KIDS!
There is also a gift shop and a protea flower shop next door. Don’t forget to pick up their home grown Kula 3600 Estate Coffee (dark roast). Unbelievably rich!

First class botanical garden. If you’re into this sort of thing, this should be a priority.
It only covers about 8 acres, and is easy to walk around. But its dense with tropical vegetation from all over the world, in great variety.
Its also amazing that this was built on an individual’s energies over only 42 years (with lots of help, of course). Most of the vegetation looks so well established and so mature.

This place is a nice change from some of the other tourist places and it kind of off the beaten track. It is not as extensive as some botanical gardens that I have been to on other islands, but we had a wonderful time walking through the peaceful gardens. We got there early and had the place pretty much to ourselves.
It has a great view from the front deck over the central valley between the two mountain peaks.
It is not large, so we finished in a little more than one hour. Also, we love Maui Up-​country and will definitely be back.

I can tell you with certainty that you should, by all means, visit the Kula Botanical Gardens as long as it’s part of some other trip. The most obvious choice would be going up to the top of Haleakala, since Kula is just a few short minutes down the highway from the beginning of the ascent. I can’t, however, recommend the place as a standalone destination.
It’s beautiful, but it’s small. You can pretty much see everything in around an hour. The Birds of Paradise plants are lovely, but those can be seen in lots of parts around Maui. If you haven’t seen a Nene goose yet, then yes, you should look at that. The other aviary was fairly unremarkable, containing only a few lovebirds and some doves. The Koi pond is like any other Koi pond you’ve seen in your life.
Tack it on to any other upcountry destination and you won’t feel regret.

I’ve seen botanical gardens all over the world, but this one wins the prize for the most of interest in the available space. Not that it felt small, as the garden is nicely divided up so the different areas unfold as you stroll the pathways and there is a sense of privacy.
It seemed like everything was in bloom during our mid-​January visit. Flowers all over, well marked. It would be nice to have more information about more of the plants, but it was no different from most gardens in this respect.
The pair of nene geese at the duck pond were a welcome opportunity to view the rare state bird.
The folks in the gift shop and entry area were friendly and welcoming. Our AAA card took 15% off the $ 10 admission fee.