Matilija Poppy: California’s Spectacular Fire-Following Flower By Kathy McKee, UC Master Gardener, San Diego (This article originally appeared in the May / June edition of California Gardens Magazine) Few plants capture the drama of the California landscape quite like the Matilija poppy. Striking in its display of large “fried egg” blossoms and deeply tied to […]
By Leah Taylor, UC Master Gardener of San Diego County (This article originally appeared in the Jan / Feb 2026 edition of Cal Gardens magazine.) San Diego’s diverse coastal ecosystem is home to an extraordinary array of plant species, but few are as rare and captivating as Shaw’s Agave (Agave shawii). This striking succulent, […]
Colorful holiday staple, a member of the spurge family, is native to Mexico and has roots in pre-Columbian times By Julio Estrada (This article originally appeared in the December 13, 2025 edition of The Union-Tribune) As a symbol of hope and resilience, the Cuetlaxóchitl, Flor de Nochebuena (Christmas Eve flower) or poinsettia, has traversed centuries; […]
Lakeside couple’s dedication has led to dozens of new varieties, making them one of the most prolific U.S.-based plumeria seedling developers by Kim Schultz When an ornamental horticulture professor at Cuyamaca College asked him to draft a design for a plant nursery, Carl Herzog looked at the bare, decomposed granite hillside beside his Lakeside house […]
By Mo Price Have you ever seen a plant so unique and beautiful that it had an impact on your life? It happened to me 22 years ago, shortly after becoming a volunteer at San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas. The plant was a Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa); it had a bright yellow-orange 7” x […]
