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.
Alcatraz gardeners needed tough plants that could survive with little water or care. The first ornamental plants that arrived to Alcatraz in the mid 1860s were typically favorite garden plants brought by soldier's families that called Alcatraz home.
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.
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.
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.
