Category: Garden News

Los Padres National Forest with fog settled on range at sunset
July 7, 2026
Not All Plants Burn the Same: Inside Our Fire Safety Research

Combustion Testing recommends Low Flammability, Waterwise Native Taxa for Defensible Space Landscaping. Throughout my Ph.D., I pursued questions about plant flammability, guided by the philosophy that more information will lead to improved safety outcomes and help us move towards a future where native ecology complements fire protection. With my start as the Garden’s Fire Scientist…

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June 23, 2026
Donor Highlight: Giving Back to Places That Matter

When Lawrence and I look out into our garden, we’re reminded every day why native plants matter. They bring beauty, resilience, and biodiversity to our landscape, but they also support something much bigger: the web of life that sustains us all. That belief is one of the reasons we’ve been consistent supporters of Santa Barbara…

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November 24, 2025
Introducing Ironwood Issue 38

Stories Rooted in Conservation, Community, and Connection The newest digital edition of Ironwood, the Garden’s biannual magazine, has arrived, offering a journey into the world of California’s native plants and the people working every day to protect them. Issue 38 is an invitation to explore how native plants shape our landscapes, our communities, and our…

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Mapping recovery after Thomas Fire_Manzanita
July 21, 2025
Key Resources for Fire-Safe Living

As we face a warmer, hotter planet, wildfires are an increasing reality across the nation, which is why the Garden is actively researching how native plants can help us better manage fire risk. But, did you know there are also things you can do today — at your home, in your landscape, and around your…

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July 7, 2025
Ironwood 37 is Here

The latest issue of Ironwood, the Garden’s biannual magazine, has arrived — and it’s rooted in hope. Issue 37 invites you to dig deeper into what it means to care for our planet, starting in your backyard. Whether you’re a longtime native plant enthusiast or just starting to explore their value, this issue offers stories…

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Mapping recovery after Thomas Fire_Manzanita
March 21, 2025
Living with Fire: How Native Plants Can Help Build a Resilient Community 

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…

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Cover photo of Ironwood, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden magazine, featuring Amsinkcia furcata seeds
December 19, 2024
Introducing Ironwood 36 | An Ode to Seeds

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…

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Young ecologist at Park studying native plants
November 18, 2024
Transforming Elings Park | One Year Later

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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