Alcatraz Florilegium exhibition

An expanded Alcatraz Florilegium exhibit opened at the Botanical Garden at the University of California, Berkeley, on Friday, January 15, and will remain open to the public through Friday, January 29.

The Florilegium exhibits beautiful botanical drawings and paintings by members of the Northern California Society of Botanical Artists, featuring plants growing on Alcatraz Island. Many of the plants are tough as well as beautiful; the exhibit includes “survivor” plants that endured four decades of neglect before the recent garden restoration.  Learn more about the Alcatraz Florilegium.

On Thursday, January 28, in addition to the viewing the exhibition, visitors can also catch a talk on the fascinating history of gardening on Alcatraz.

Shelagh Fritz, the horticulturist and program manager for the Gardens of Alcatraz, will present the story of the renewal and restoration of the gardens, the island’s rich garden history (beginning in the nineteenth century), and the preservation project that has allowed the gardens to blossom anew. The talk is free with admission to the Botanical Garden. Read more.

The Garden Conservancy led a ten-year project to rehabilitate the historic gardens on the island, in collaboration with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service.