Which botanical gardens can I visit in Shanghai?

Question

Unfortunately many resources regarding this topic are in Chinese or behind paywalls. Especially when trying to find this while already in the country (firewall).

I would like to know which botanical gardens I can visit in Shanghai, right now (April 2016). I am mainly looking for gardens easily accessible by public transport from the city center (say no more than 30 minutes from Nanjing Road).

Any extra information like location, nearby metro stations, entry price, best month to visit or what a garden is known for is much appreciated. Honorable mentions like beautiful freely accessible gardens or gardens just outside of the city are welcome too.

Answer 1

The following information is from Shanghai Botanical Garden page. Supposedly one of the largest botanical gardens, Shanghai Botanical Garden, 上海植物园, is in Xuhui District, 徐汇区.

Opening hours are 7am - 5pm every day.

The Transportation section says:

Shanghai Botanical Garden can be reached on the Shanghai Metro using Shanghai Metro Line 3 to Shanghai South Railway Station (上海南站站) or Shilong Road Station (石龙路站). Alternatively, it can be access by rail from the main Shanghai South Railway Station.

Shilong station looks like it's around a mile from the garden's main entrance.

The street address is 997 Longwu Rd (which has multiple bus lines). The closest bus station, southbound on Longwu Rd, north of the garden, is 龙吴路龙水南路. The closest station northbound (south of the garden) is 龙吴路百色路 (? Longwu Rd / Baise Rd).

Yelp reviews from 2016 report a base entrance fee of RMB 15, while RMB 40 gets you into green houses, etc.