Golden Gate Park arboretum - stones at Rhododendron pavilion

The San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum (formerly Strybing Arboretum) is located in San Francisco's

Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...

. Its 55 acres (22.3 ha) represents nearly 9,000 different kinds of plants from around the world, with particular focus on

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

species, high elevation palms, conifers, and

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...

species from Central America, South America and Southeast Asia. San Francisco's County Fair Building is located near the main entrance to the Garden.

History

Plans for the garden were originally laid out in the 1880s by park supervisor John McLaren, but funding was insufficient to begin construction until Helene Strybing left a major bequest in 1927. Planting was begun in 1937 with WPA funds supplemented by local donations, and the Arboretum officially opened in May 1940. As a part of Golden Gate Park, it is officially managed by the city of San Francisco, but the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society plays an important role in providing educational programs, managing volunteers, curatorial staff, and more. Formed in 1955, the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society (formerly the Strybing Arboretum Society) operates the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture, Garden Bookstore, and monthly plant sales, and offers a wide range of community education programs for children and adults. The Society also raises money for new projects and Garden renovations. In 2004, Strybing Arboretum changed its name to San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum, and the Arboretum Society followed suit, becoming San Francisco Botanical Garden Society at Strybing Arboretum.

Plant collections

The gardens are organized into several specialized collections: * Mediterranean ** California Native ** John Muir Nature Trail ** Redwood Grove ** Chile ** South Africa ** Australia ** Mediterranean Basin Region * Mild-temperate climate ** New Zealand ** Moon-viewing Garden - a Japanese design ** Temperate Asia Garden * Montane tropic **

Mesoamerican Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. Withi ...

Cloud Forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...

Southeast Asian Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

Cloud Forest (in development) **

Andean The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...

Cloud Forest (in development) * Specialty collections ** Ancient Plant Garden ** Succulent garden ** Dwarf Conifer garden ** Exhibition Garden ** Garden of Fragrance ** Zellerbach Garden of Perennials ** Dry Mexico ** Rhododendron Garden ** Magnolias & Camellias (found in many collections) The mild

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

is ideal for plants from surprisingly many parts of the world; the arboretum does not include greenhouses for species requiring other climate types.

References

External links

San Francisco Botanical Garden homepage"Pianos take over SF botanical gardens for 'Flower Piano' event"
KTVU, July 2018
"SF Botanical Garden digs its volunteers who get hands dirty"
SF Gate, June 2018
"The Bay Area’s Largest Plant Sale Returns to Golden Gate Park"
SF Station, April 2018
"How the Wealthy Stole 55 Acres of Golden Gate Park"
Medium, July 19, 2013 {{Authority control Arboreta in California Botanical gardens in California Golden Gate Park Landmarks in San Francisco Gardens in San Francisco

History

Plant collections

See also

References

External links