Garden Stories

The Garden blog with stories and information about our vast plant collections

One bright orange flower with many petals

The Editing of Plant Names

Do Rhinoceros actually eat the Rhinoceros bush?
A bunch of tiny pink flowers surrounded by green leaves

Saving Mt. Diablo Buckwheat

Preserving endangered California plants
A forest of burned trees

Fire and Plants

From thick bark to dormant buds, plants have evolved many strategies to avoid damage due to fire.
A white many-petaled flower floats on the surface of water surrounded by large round green leaves

Virginia Haldan Tropical House reopens!

The Virginia Haldan Tropical House reopens to the public on Sept. 7, 2024
Many small orange yellow flowers growing on the side of a hill

A Distinguished Career

A distinguished career: Curator Holly Forbes retires after 36 years
A large cactus with two stems growing in circles

Fasciation

What causes the abnormal, bizarre growth patterns that sometimes occur in plants?
Fruit and vegetables with numbered labels stuck on the skin

Sticky Problem Solutions

Highlighting a fascinating research project using the Garden's plant collections. 
Close-up of two fingers holding a cut branch leaking a clear liquid

Root Pressure and Sap Flow

What is the best time of year to prune?
Large green leaves with wavy edges

Innovative technology and UCBG

How does photosynthesis change across the surface of a leaf? Learn more about this fascinating project using taro plant in the Garden!
Many bright pink flowers with layers of fluffy petals surrounded by pointy green leaves

Blue Roses?

Will there ever be a true blue rose?
Many thin green leaves covered with reddish-brown dots

Fern Reproduction

Ferns come from an ancient lineage of non-flowering plants that reproduce by spores

Aristolochia Pollination

Luring pollinators with smell