Non-native turfgrass lawns may be widely planted in southern California, but they simply do not belong here. To many people these ubiquitous green carpets of grass seem inoffensive, even desirable. But after years of droughts, fires, and mudslides, many Californians are beginning to understand that it’s past time for us to rethink their presence here.…
During his internship at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Ryan Tang spent quality time with a patch of nature. His assignment was simple but open-ended. He had to regularly visit a habitat, closely observe some of its resident animals and record his observations in a field journal. The purpose of the assignment was to give Ryan…
Southern California is no stranger to fire, but as we were all reminded in January 2025 with the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, they are becoming increasingly intense, decimating wildlands and urban areas alike. Indeed, of the top 10 largest fires that have burned in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties from 1878 to 2019, five…
The digital edition of Ironwood 36, the Garden’s bi-annual magazine, is here — and it’s brimming with stories that will inspire, inform, and ignite your passion for native plants. This issue celebrates the incredible potential packed into something as small as a seed. With every article, we invite you to join us in our mission…
Spring is a special time at Carrizo Plain National Monument. A good rain year can bring out spectacular displays of native plants blooming in various shades of yellow, orange, and purple across the Monument’s wide plains and rolling hills. Each plant species, with its specific color, shape, and size, is an important part of this…
For several years, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has been working to deepen our understanding of the state and federally endangered California jewelflower (Caulanthus californicus). This beautiful annual plant is facing habitat loss due to destruction associated with agriculture, oil fields, and urbanization. Since 2017, the Garden’s rare plant team has been following populations of California…
It was mid-April when the first heat wave hit southern California, and the Central Valley looked mighty crispy. With the heat, we sensed that some plants might be going to seed much earlier than expected. Sure enough, scouting around the oil fields near Taft, CA, we discovered a large population of one of our target…
In the fall of 2023, the Garden started a habitat creation, experimental science, and community-building project on the mesa at Elings Park, a collective effort only made possible with the help of volunteers and Channel Islands Restoration. Now, with a year of effort and growth behind us, we wanted to share some early findings and…
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