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Plants Fungi

Native Plants for the Not-So-Hallmark Holiday

Valentine’s Day not exactly your favorite holiday? Just for you incurable curmudgeons—here’s a bouquet of plants with some less-than-romantic names that you certainly won’t be hearing about in any love sonnet.

Acorns
Acorn Gathering: A Fall Tradition with a Long History

Along with preparing plants for the busy winter planting season, nursery staff members are also keeping their eyes peeled for a signature seed of the season: acorns! Vital to our restoration efforts in the parks, they’re also important to the indigenous Ohlone tribes of the area.

California Poppy
Is the Prohibition of Poppy Picking Purely Poppycock?

The California poppy is the much-loved, vivacious floral icon of the Golden State. But is it actually illegal to pick the poppy? Discover the truth behind this rumor—and more fun facts about one of the most recognizable blooms in our parks.

Scouting the “Top Seeds” in the Field

Not as obvious as leaves or as ostentatious as flowers, seeds are often overlooked in our appreciation of plant life. But don’t miss out on their beauty! In this guide, one of the Parks Conservancy’s seed experts picks her favorites.

California poppies
Debunking Myths About California’s Native Plants

Working with native plants all the time you begin to develop a huge soft spot for them and it becomes easy to forget that not everyone shares the same love and appreciation for our home-grown plants. But the question remains: why?

Nursery volunteers
It’s Transplantapalooza Season for the Nurseries!

The native plant nurseries in the Golden Gate National Parks follow a unique cycle. Since we rely on the park itself for the seeds and plant material we propagate for restoration projects, the nurseries follow the natural cycle of the land. Right now? Transplanting time!

Presidio Native Plant Nursery volunteers
Youth Take Charge in the Presidio Nursery

Do you enjoy being outdoors? Curious about our amazing world of plants? Want to meet other youth interested in stewardship and develop your leadership skills? Read on to see the difference young people make in the Presidio native plant nursery.

Yerba Buena tea
Freshly Picked, Tasty Tea Recipes

Rather than going to your local grocery store, have you ever considered going out to your backyard for tea ingredients? You don’t need to look far to find plants that benefit your health, taste delicious, and—best of all—cost virtually nothing.

Nursery program at Oceana High School in Pacifica
Growing Season: Nurseries Spring into Action

Just as it is for the home gardener, spring means planning and planting seeds for our park nurseries. See how we’re gearing up for another big season of growing plants for restoration projects in the Golden Gate National Parks.

Poison Oak
The Four-Season Field Guide to Poison Oak

“Leaves of three, let it be. If it’s hairy, it’s a berry. If it’s shiny, watch your hiney.” That famous rhyme can help you pick out poison oak—for part of the year. But, because Toxicodendron diversilobum is deciduous, what about the other seasons?