Garden Exploration: The San Francisco Botanical Garden

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Come with us on a tour of the native plants at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, led by Don Mahoney, the garden's chief curator.

A California native, Rhododendron Occidentale has huge powder puff blossoms.

Photo by Sftrajan via Flickr

Fragrant lilacs developed to thrive in San Francisco’s mild climate are known as “low-chill” varieties.

Throughout the California natives garden, naturalized clumps of irises edge walkways and cover grassy meadows.

A semi-secluded bench named in honor of Gavin Newsom’s mother Tessa.

A small plaque in the grassy area beneath the buckeye identifies it for passersby.

A low-growing variety, Ceanothus Hearstiorum creates a mat-like groundcover.

Known as the California lilac, ceanothus comes in about 50 different varieties.

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