For 22 years, scientists at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden have been asking what genetic diversity might mean for a rare tree. Then, in 2026, a wildfire changed the stakes. One of the Rarest Trees on Earth Every day, visitors pass two Torrey pines (Pinus torreyana) near the Garden’s entrance without realizing how special they are.…
Santa Rosa Island, also known as Wima by the indigenous communities who originally inhabited it, is the second largest of the four islands in the Channel Islands National Park system. It supports some rare and endemic plant species, including the island subspecies of Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana subsp. insularis), which is almost entirely limited to…
Over the past year, we’ve shared the excitement of bringing native, water-wise plants to working landscapes across the Cuyama Valley. Planting days are often the most visible part of restoration, but they’re only the beginning. Once the plants are in the ground, the real work begins: caring for them, learning from them, and watching how…
Native plants provide the foundation for all life on Earth – serving as the anchor points of global food webs. They are essential to the health and wellbeing of our pollinators, wildlife – and even you and me. Insects such as bees, wasps, butterflies, and beetles play critical roles as pollinators, seed dispersers, and natural pest controllers. If you enjoy a colorful salad or a…
While our 2025 field season got off to a slow start, by mid-July, most of the Rare Plant Team was heading out every week to sites across California for field work. On this particular week, Chloe Tilton, Rare Plant Technician, and I were in the midst of a marathon 5-day field trip. Day one was spent driving from Santa Barbara to Sacramento, successfully making three rare plant seed collections along the way. Woohoo! On day two, we worked around the Sacramento area at two natural reserves, including finding and collecting seeds from a massive population of Spicate calycadenia (Calycadenia spicata, California Rare Plant…
On a cool morning this February, a group gathered at the Buckhorn Roadside Resort in Cuyama Valley to watch birds and drink coffee. Most participants had never used binoculars to go birding before, so the morning officially began with a binoculars tutorial: We described how to adjust the spacing between the barrels, how to focus…
Garden Design To Support the Web of Life Part 1: Design for Wildlife and Beauty With Layers Some of the most diverse and interesting habitat gardens I encounter use habitat layers, massing, and strategic plant palettes to great effect. Ecologically, building three-dimensional (3D) structures in our gardens helps us support the web of life. Aesthetically,…
Every restoration project has a beginning that looks far quieter than people expect. Before the plants bloom and the critters return, there is planning and lots of it. There are conversations, calendars, and maps spread across tables, and moments of uncertainty balanced by shared excitement. For us, the early days of the Garden’s landscape transformation…
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