A Dramatic Spring and Summer Bloom of Weird and Wild Flowers Coming to San Francisco Botanical Garden in the Aftermath of Winter’s Rain

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After four dry years, this winter has brought much needed rain to California, and some very WILD flowers are getting ready to put on a particularly vibrant show this spring and summer at San Francisco Botanical Garden (SFBG). A spectacular variety of protea will bristle with huge, fiery flowers in the South African Garden. The magic dogwood is set to dazzle with its spiraling, white flowers that perch on its limbs like exotic lanterns. The monkey’s hand tree will explode with what seems like hundreds of small, open hands extending from its crimson flowers. The season will also bring vivid and WILD profusions of flowers in the Garden of California Native Plants, the Mediterranean Garden, and the Zellerbach Garden of Perennials.

The Garden is a unique home to a huge variety of remarkable and rare plants, including many 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. Many of the more than 8,000 kinds of plants in the Garden’s collections are native to mediterranean habitats worldwide, flowering brilliantly after a wet winter soaks ground parched during the rainless summer. Starting in April and extending through August, the largest portion of the Garden’s collections comes into bloom, drawing a huge host of pollinators to its bounty of remarkable and rare plants. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees will put on a spectacular show, lured by the abundance of flowers and the food they offer.

Visitors to the Garden can take advantage of free must-see maps for both spring and summer, docent-led tours, and more, as well as unique classes and activities, to celebrate and learn more about significant flowerings. Visitors can also follow the Garden on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for regular photo updates of current bloom events. 

WHAT:            

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

WHEN:            

April 1-August 31, 2016; 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 PROGRAMS

Bean Sprouts Family Days
Saturdays, April 2 – October 29; 1-4 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. Special activities celebrating Arbor Day will occur on April 30. Suitable for families with children ages 3-10. Drop in at any time during the program; heavy rain cancels.

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 3, 17: Golden State Plants
  • May 1, 15: Weird & Wild Plants
  • June 5, 19: UnBEElievable Plant Pollinators & Beneficial Garden Bugs
  • July 3, 17: Grow Giants: Impressive Garden Harvests
  • August 7, 21: Keeping it Wild: Plant & Animal Habitats