Botanic Garden Newsletter December 2025

THE BOTANIC GARDEN NEWSLETTER
December 2025

December Wayne Roderick Lectures
Lichen Walk: Saturday, December 13
Help Preserve a Local Treasure
December Plant Sales (NO Sale on Wednesday, December 10)
Free, Docent-Led Garden Tours

Enjoy the peace and beauty of the Garden this month. During the fall and winter seasons, the Botanic Garden is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day). Free entry and parking. On weekends, kids can enjoy the “I Spy” and Treasure Hunt games. Garden greeters at the front gate are happy to provide all the materials.

Please note: South Park Drive is currently closed to automobile traffic for the annual newt migration.

Photo: Trailing bearberry (Arctostaphyloos uva-ursi ‘Pt. St. George’) by Sandy Steinman.

Wayne Roderick Lecture Series

Join us for our popular Wayne Roderick Lecture series on a broad array of topics related to plants and natural history. The talks take place on Saturday mornings starting at 10:30 a.m. in the Botanic Garden Visitor Center auditorium. These presentations are enjoyable for beginners and professionals alike. All lectures are free and open to the public.

December 6: Glenn Keator, PhD: “Flora of Western Australia.” Dr. Keator has taught at Merritt College, SF Botanical Garden, College of Marin, and California Academy of Sciences, among others. His primary focus is on California native plants; he initiated the docent training program at the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, and has been the principal teacher for all the docent training classes.
December 13: TBA
December 20: Bob Case: “Alpines of Berthoud Pass, Rocky Mountain National Park, plus some further north alpines of the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Canada.” Bay Area native Bob Case taught biology in the Peralta Community College District for 25 years, and is a retired Deputy Agricultural Commissioner for Contra Costa County. He has traveled most of the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery Trail and is a member of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.
December 27: no lecture.

Future lectures will be listed on the Garden website.

Photo: Wreath lechenaultia (Lechenaultia macrantha), by Eleftherios Dariotis, Mediterranean Garden Society.

Lichen Walk: Saturday, December 13, 1:00–3:00 p.m.

Join Jepson Herbarium Curator of Lichenology, Dr. Klara Scharnagl, as she leads a walk through the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. She will point out where lichens can be found, and introduce visitors to the incredible forms and diversity of lichens in the Garden. Space is limited and you must register for the walk. Open to the public.

Register here.

Photo: Lichens, by Sandy Steinman.

Help Preserve a Local Treasure

The Regional Parks Botanic Garden is a naturally charming and tranquil 10-acre living museum of California native plants. The Garden is always free, is open nearly every day of the year, and is a magical place to enjoy native plants and trees. It is also a center for education, research, conservation, and community engagement. By donating to the Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden you will help us to:

Maintain and expand our collection of 4,000+ taxa of native plants from all parts of the California Floristic Province and help to fund collecting field trips by Garden staff.
Offer free programs and events for children, families, schools, and adults.
Train volunteer docents and Garden greeters.
Conduct innovative research on plant biology, horticulture, pathogens, ecology, and evolution.
Protect and restore endangered and threatened plant species and habitats.
Fund Botanic Garden projects.
Propagate and sell native plants (of often rare and endangered species).
Inspire and empower people to appreciate and care for the environment.

Your gift, no matter how big or small, will make a difference. Together, we can ensure that the Botanic Garden will continue to be a source of wonder, joy, and hope for generations to come. Please visit our website to make your donation today; we thank you for your generosity and support! Membership levels start at $30.00 annually.

As a benefit of membership, all Friends of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden receive quarterly issues of Manzanita, plus these additional membership benefits:

Early admission to annual spring and fall plant sales.
Invitations to special events offered exclusively for Friends members.
Discounts at select nurseries offering California native plants.
Membership in the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program, which enables our members to enjoy member benefits at participating gardens around the country.

Above: Regional Parks Botanic Garden; photo by John Rusk.

Weekly and Monthly Plant Sales

Plant sales are held Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 noon, and the first Saturday of every month, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Note: the weekly plant sale will not be available Wednesday, December 10. Current plant inventory is available on the Garden website.

Featured this month: Island snapdragon and Heartleaf penstemon.

Island Snapdragon (Gambelia speciosa) is a somewhat vine-like perennial plant native to the Channel Islands and to Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Trumpet-shaped red flowers attract birds, especially hummingbirds. Under the right conditions it can bloom almost year-round. It can grow in sun or part shade, but will produce more flowers with full sun. The plant is cold sensitive but tolerates occasional light frosts. It is very versatile and can be planted as a ground cover, pruned as a hedge, grown in containers, or trained on a trellis. It will tolerate a variety of soils if well drained.

Photo by Neal Kramer.

Heartleaf penstemon (Keckiella cordifolia) is a perennial plant native to Southern California and the Channel Islands. It can spread to six feet tall and wide. Stunning tubular red flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It can grow in full sun in cooler coastal areas, and on shady slopes in the hotter inland areas. While deciduous with winter cold or summer drought, it can be evergreen with summer water, especially in milder climates. It is somewhat deer resistant.

Photo by John Rusk.

Free Garden Tours

You're invited to our free, docent-guided tours every weekend and on Park District holidays! Explore the Garden sights with us on Saturdays and Park District holidays at 2:00 p.m., and Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. NOTE: the Garden will be closed on December 25 and January 1.

Schedule a private docent-led tour for your group. Details on the Garden website.

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