A world of plants at S.F. Botanical Garden
The San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum features plants from around the world, including some that no longer exist in their natural habitats. At this living museum ensconced within Golden Gate Park, meander along pathways to see more than 8,000 species of plants throughout 55 acres of landscaped gardens and open spaces. A visit during fall means enjoying autumn hues throughout the garden.
The leaves of cycads fan out from stout trunks, allowing you to observe the same species of plant that grew alongside dinosaurs during the Jurassic Period. The first cone-bearing seed plants, cycads have an estimated 100 species today in the subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Australia and Mexico. They’re among the discoveries in the Ancient Plant Garden, which takes visitors on a journey through time. Follow the walkways to branch off into sections dedicated to the Early Devonian, Pennsylvanian, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and the Eocene epoch. There you’ll find plants including ferns from the Early Devonian Period and water lilies from the Cretaceous Period.
The Mesoamerican Cloud Forest contains plants and epiphytes that grow in the cool, moist, foggy climate of the high-elevation tropical forests of Central and South America. On the southern side of the great meadow, look for the pink blooms of the fuchsia paniculata. A native plant of Mexico and Panama, it’s among the more than 100 native fuchsia species found in Central and South America, along with Tahiti, New Zealand and the West Indies. Nearby, search for the clusters of yellow flowers that appear to float atop the verdant leaves of the giant groundsel. To learn more, pick up a free Cloud Forest plant map pointing to key species in the garden and their locations or take a free, docent-led Cloud Forest tour at 2 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 3-Dec. 26.
Students, gardeners, historians, conservationists and others wanting to study and research horticulture utilize the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture. Its extensive collection covers various aspects of horticulture including plant lore, medical botany, ecological restoration, garden design and sustainable agriculture. Its valuable resources include an estimated 27,000-volume collection, 350 plant and garden periodicals, and much more.
The library also hosts art shows including its current exhibition, “The Legacy of Luther Burbank,” which honors the renowned horticulturist through a series of paintings by members of the Sonoma County Colored Pencil Artists. Through the seasons, the artists spent time observing and sketching some of the fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees that Burbank developed on his Gold Ridge Experiment Farm in Sebastopol and his home and gardens in Santa Rosa. Works from the exhibition include “Wild Black Cherry” by Suzanne Cogen, “Hybrid Lilac” by Vi Strain, and “Tower of Gold” by Nina Antze, an art instructor who also coordinated the exhibition. Through Dec. 30. San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum, 1199 Ninth Ave., S.F. (415) 661-1316, www.sfbo tanicalgarden.org.