As spring arrives in San Francisco, some very WILD flowers come out to play at San Francisco Botanical Garden. Resembling something from outer space, the blue puya sends up massive towers of unearthly emerald-turquoise flowers that bristle with strange protruding spikes. What seems like hundreds of small, open hands extend from the flowers of the monkey’s hand tree. And the magic dogwood dazzles the eye with its spiraling, white flowers perched on its limbs like exotic lanterns.

San Francisco Botanical Garden, celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year, is a unique home to a huge variety of remarkable and rare plants, including some no longer found in their native habitats. Fantastical flora from the farthest reaches of the globe can be found in 55 acres of geographically specific gardens from South Africa to Chile. Starting in April and extending through August, the Garden reveals its true allure as the largest portion of its collections comes into bloom. The season also brings vivid and WILD profusions of flowers in the Garden of California Native Plants, the Mediterranean Garden and the Zellerbach Garden of Perennials. It’s an ever-changing mosaic of surprises as visitors stroll from one continent to another, taking in the beauty of these naturalistically planted environments and the unusual and stunning plants within them.

Visitors to the Garden can get the latest on current, must-see flowerings at the Garden entrances or, to plan a visit, follow the Garden on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for regular photo updates. 

WHAT:                      
WILD Flowers at San Francisco Botanical Garden – the spring and summer flowering of many unusual and rare plants

WHEN:                      
April 1-August 31, 2015; open every day

TIME:                        
9 AM to 6 PM (spring and summer – closing times vary in other seasons)

WHERE:                   
San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

TICKETS:                 
San Francisco Residents: FREE with proof of residency
Non-residents: $7 general, $5 youth 12-17 & seniors; $2 children 5-11; children 4 and under FREE; families of 2 adults and one or more child pay just $15

The Garden is free daily 7:30-9am and all day on second Tuesdays of the month

INFORMATION:     
www.SFBotanicalGarden.org, (415) 661-1316

FAMILY ACTIVITIES:

Bean Sprouts Family Days
Saturdays, April 4 – October 31, 12-3 PM
FREE with regular admission

Journey out to the Children's Garden at the west end of the Garden to enjoy hands-on outdoor fun! Create colorful crafts with flowers, help weed and water the garden, read a book or play a nature game with our staff and teen interns. Suitable for families with children aged 3-10.

Children’s Story Time in the Library
First and third Sundays, April through August; 10:30-11:30 AM
FREE (admission required for docent walks following story readings)

Come celebrate weird and wild plants, spring, pollination and redwood trees in the Garden! Enjoy a special story in the library on a different theme each month at 10:30 AM (see below). Then take a guided walk through the Garden that connects that morning’s story to living plants. For families with children ages 4-8.

April 5, 19: Weird and Wild Plants
May 3, 17: Plants of California
June 7, 21: Flower Power
July 5, 19: Pollination Celebration
August 2, 16: California Giants