It’s been awhile since we’ve posted anything from the SF Botanical Garden. Last week at my docent training class I heard that folks who don’t think there should be a fee to visit the garden call it “Strybing”, and those that do call it “San Francisco Botanical Garden”. I’d never heard this before, but out of pure laziness I usually call it Strybing.

I’m obsessed with Brugmansia sanguinea. So obsessed I planted one in a big container out back a couple weeks ago. I’m  worried it’s going to want more water than I’m going to remember to give it come summer. Apparently it will drop leaves if it dries out. I think my love will help me keep it alive.

Did you know that the very first Magnolia campbellii to bloom in a U.S. garden was right here back in 1940? True story. It’s a precocious bloomer, which means it blooms before any leaves appear. All Magnolias are pollinated by beetles. Thanks to my docent training class yesterday, I learned lots of cool things about Magnolias. This guy is native to the Himalayas.

The Aloe arborescens are still putting on a decent show. The fruit covered Crataegus mexicana in the background is quite a sight too. Native to Mexico, the fruits are edible and used to make a traditional hot Christmas punch. Another random fact from wikipedia: “Due to its high pectin content, the fruit is industrially processed to extract pectin for the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, textile and metal industries.”

I don’t have anything exciting to say about this Salvia except that it’s sweet. Happy Sunday!