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Gardening

Walking up to the Alcatraz Cellhouse.
Parks

Support the Alcatraz Historic Gardens

Resident families introduced roses to Alcatraz during the military era, between 1850 and 1934. Surprisingly, roses thrived under these conditions and soon filled Alcatraz’s first gardens.
Gardens at Alcatraz
Our Work

Visit the Alcatraz Historic Gardens

Learn more about visiting the gardens at Alcatraz.
Perennial geraniums at Officers Row on Alcatraz Island.
Parks

Plants of Alcatraz Historic Gardens from NPS

Photos of flora commonly found on Alcatraz Island, presented by volunteers of the Parks Conservancy.
Gardens at Alcatraz
Our Work

Plants of Alcatraz Historic Gardens

Alcatraz gardeners needed tough plants that could survive with little water or care. In the 1930s, the warden’s secretary, Fred Reichel, asked the California Horticultural Society and pioneering western plant breeders for seedlings that might do well on the island. Many of the species that he imported came from the...
Parks

Rainwater Catchment System at the Alcatraz Historic Gardens

Parks Conservancy staff shoveling compost at the Alcatraz Historic Gardens
Parks

Composting at the Gardens of Alcatraz

Parks Conservancy staff shoveling compost at the Alcatraz Historic Gardens
Parks

Sustainable Gardening at Alcatraz Historic Gardens

Learn more about our sustainable gardening practices at Alcatraz Historic Gardens.
Mugshot of Alcatraz inmate and gardener Albert Smith
Stories

Incarcerated Gardeners: Albert Smith

Albert Smith, found guilty of four counts of robbery, was sentenced to serve 10 to 24 years in prison. He was sent to Alcatraz in 1945 after an attempted escape, and began work duties as a gardener the following year.
Historical mugshot of Richard Franseen, Alcatraz Inmate and gardener.
Stories

Incarcerated Gardeners: Richard Franseen

Richard Franseen was sentenced to Alcatraz from 1937 to 1946 for counterfeiting. By 1940, he was assigned to yard duties, tending to a greenhouse and a little garden.
Rose 'Buff Beauty'
Parks

Roses of Alcatraz Historic Gardens

Resident families introduced roses to Alcatraz during the military era, between 1850 and 1934. Surprisingly, roses thrived under these conditions and soon filled Alcatraz’s first gardens.