Blog - San Diego Botanic Garden

Reflecting On Three Years of Medicinal Plants Research at San Diego Botanic Garden and Looking Ahead

As I write and reflect on the last three full years of Medicinal Plants Research at San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG), I want to lead with gratitude. Dr. Ari Novy, President and CEO of SDBG, told me that he had long envisioned botanic gardens playing a more central role in modern biomedical research through the science and conservation of medicinal plants. That vision became a reality here in early 2022 with the launch of our Medicinal Plants Research program.

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Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii) Community Tree Planting with Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

March 2025

In the Fall of 2024, San Diego Botanic Garden participated in restoration projects led by our partners at Viejas, and performed in collaborative efforts with team members from the Morton Arboretum and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA). The goal with this event was to reintroduce a significant number of Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii) seedlings due to their ecological and cultural significance for the Kumeyaay people and San Diego County. […]

San Diego Botanic Garden Hosts Medicinal Plants Research Symposium

March 2024

SDBG hosted its first Medicinal Plants Research Symposium, bringing together leading researchers from academia, industry and nonprofits, along with Native American tribal governments and members, and other community partners to celebrate accomplishments from the first phase of the Medicinal Plants Project, and look ahead at the future of medicinal plants research. […]

RaMP Program Spotlight Series: Meet Alison Snyder, Program Specialist!

February 2024

My name is Alison Snyder, and I am a RaMP Rare Plant Specialist at the San Diego Botanic Garden. RaMP stands for Research and Mentorship Program for Post- Baccalaureates. This program spans over four different botanic gardens across the country, including SDBG, and is focused on diversifying the STEM workforce through paid training and mentorship […]

RaMP Program Spotlight Series: Meet Alli Adams, Program Specialist!

February 2024

My name is Alli Adams and I am currently working with the San Diego Botanic Garden’s Science and Conservation team through the Research and Mentorship Program for Post-Baccalaureates, or RaMP […]

New Year, New Ways to Bloom

January 2024

The holiday season is often filled to the brim with festive cheer, joyous celebrations and… stress. If you’re looking for ways to reset with healthy habits in 2024, look no further. Here are 5 ways to embrace nature at the Garden and transition from the hustle and bustle of the holidays into a peaceful new year […]

new silver field truck in the field on dirt pathway

SDBG Receives Funding for New Field Truck

June 2023

This spring, San Diego Botanic Garden was recognized as a beneficiary by local philanthropic organization Las Patronas. The grant, along with funds provided by the County of San Diego, allowed the Garden to purchase a field vehicle for use in SDBG research, environmental restoration, and conservation projects. With a rapidly growing number of projects and team members, an additional field vehicle has been vital to […]

Worm Composting 101: Turn Scraps into Garden Treasure

May 2023

Looking to get your home garden in top shape while also reducing your carbon footprint? Worm composting – or vermicomposting – isn’t just good for creating a lush garden, it’s also good for the environment. Worm castings improve soil health, which helps plants fight pests, diseases and other environmental stressors. They can also help soil hold more moisture, reducing the need for frequent watering, and minimizing erosion and nutrient loss[…]

Tips to Celebrate Earth Month All Year Long!

April 2023

As we head into Earth Month and look forward to Earth Day on April 22, this is a great time of year for gardeners to reflect on our impact on the environment and make small changes to help protect our planet.

Here are six things to consider incorporating into your gardening routine to help conserve resources year-round and create a healthy environment for your plants and the world around us[…]

2022 Science and Conservation Highlights and A Look Ahead

March 2023

Science and conservation at SDBG made an enormous leap forward in 2022, growing to a portfolio of 20 active projects and engaging with over 60 partner organizations. We initiated 15 of these projects in 2022 and brought four new staff members onboard to support and ensure project success.

We conducted over 120 days of fieldwork from as near as the local canyons of Encinitas to as far as the Modoc Plateau in northeastern California, as well as the Andean highlands of Peru.[…]

Women’s History Month: Celebrating the Legacy of Ruth Baird Larabee

March 2023

The history of San Diego Botanic Garden would not be complete without mention of the visionary woman behind our 37-acre urban oasis. In the early 1940s, Ruth Baird Larabee and her then-husband Charles Wright Larabee purchased two parcels of ranch land where the Garden currently sits today.

Ruth and Charles brought their love for Latin cultures and their Midwestern aesthetic to the homestead[…]

6 Date Ideas You’ll Love at San Diego Botanic Garden

This February, let love grow at the Garden! A naturally charming atmosphere with 4 miles of meandering pathways to stroll along, and vibrant sights and smells of more than 5,000 plants from around the world, the Garden is a perfect place to celebrate the Month of Love.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic date and gifting ideas for Valentine’s Day, or fun activities to celebrate with friends, here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy the Garden with a loved one this month….

SDBG playing key role in global conservation of oak trees

June 2022

by Tony Gurnoe, Director of Conservation Horticulture

SDBG’s Conservation Horticulture staff have been working to conserve endangered native oak species, both in habitat and in cultivation, since the beginning of the Garden’s Science and Conservation department. Notable examples of the impact SDBG has had on regionally native endangered species of Quercus include cultivating the first ex situ conservation accessions of Cedros Island oaks (Quercus cedrosensis) from acorns collected within the small and highly threatened U.S. population of that species. […]

children water plants with watering cans

Education updates

March 2022

by Tomoko Kuta, Senior Director for Education, Membership and Visitor Services

Last month, San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) launched Access Afternoons, a community outreach program that welcomes new audiences to the Garden through funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Recognizing the Garden’s role as a trusted community space for supporting mental health, wellbeing, and healing, the program provides free, regularly-scheduled Garden visits to populations who have suffered during the pandemic from isolation, resource scarcity, or economic hardship. […]

Horticulture & Facilities news

February 2022

by Brandi Eide, Deputy CEO and Senior Director for Horticulture and Facilities

Coastal prickly pear cactus: SDBG’s new logo

November 2021

by Ari Novy, PhD, President & CEO

Opuntia littoralis, the coastal prickly pear, is one of the most used native plants, both historically and currently, and it grows naturally at the Garden. Our coast prickly pear is native to Southern California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal sage scrub and our maritime chaparral.

Restoration of canyon adjacent to Ocean Knoll Elementary School

October 2021

by Ari Novy, PhD, President & CEO

Collaborative Conservation of an Exceptional Oak

April 2021

by Tony Gurnoe, Director of Conservation Horticulture

Conserving a Distinct Piece of Encinitas

January 2021

by Tony Gurnoe, Director of Conservation Horticulture

San Diego Botanic Garden has a distinctive position in not only working to conserve endangered plants where they grow naturally, but also bringing those rare species into a managed setting which enables a deeper level of study, better community engagement without compromising preservation, and for us to highlight the unique beauty such rare plants bring to a garden.

Our recent endeavor to conserve the endangered Encinitas Baccharis, Baccharis vanessae, exemplifies each of these botanical contributions. Two years ago, Encinitas was down to 26 remaining plants of this rare species and they were progressing toward extirpation. Today SDBG has a back-up population of more than 60 individuals (planted here at the Garden), with many of these plants featured prominently along the trail in our natural area. We have also distributed plants to botanical gardens around the state.

Studying the Genetics of Allen’s Hummingbirds

January 2021 | by Sarah Hood & Dillon Jones, San Diego State University Graduate Students

Restoring Encinitas Open Spaces with Native Plants

October 2020

by Tony Gurnoe, Director of Horticulture

What Makes Us a Botanic Garden?

July 2020

by Jeremy Bugarchich, Curator of Collections

Pollinator Observations at Home

July 2020

by Sarah Morgan, Education Manager

While we have not been able to see all of you at the Garden, we hope you have connected with the plants in your life and enjoyed learning at home with us through our children’s educational series, Fun at Home, with activity sheets and videos.