The UCR Botanic Gardens will host an early morning Bird Walk & Breakfast in the Gardens, timed for ideal sightings. The Bird Walk will be followed by a continental breakfast where participants share sightings and observations and learn more about the local avifauna. UCRBG bird walks are open to all levels of birders, from beginner...
There is among us a form of life whose ancestry traces back nearly 300 million years. This is the ginkgo tree, Ginkgo biloba, whose closest relatives also have ancient heritage. Although it has broad leaves like angiosperms, ginkgo is a gymnosperm, closely related to cycads and conifers, because it produces “naked seeds” on its branches...
Along the marshy banks of the lower Nile River before it joins the Mediterranean, a sedge plant known to the ancients as “papyrus” or sometimes “biblos” flourished for many thousands of years. The plant was essential to the lives of the Egyptians, providing material for fabric, sails, baskets, and even boats. Papyrus is best known...
The Propertius Duskywing is a Spread-wing Skipper because it usually holds its wings out flat when perched. Only occasionally are the wings folded to show a ventral view. Skippers are separated from other butterflies by the fact that the clubbed antennae are hooked. Also, they have large eyes, stocky bodies, and powerful flight muscles. Propertius...
The Silver-spotted Skipper ( Epargyreus clarus), one of the largest and most widespread species in the skipper family ( Hesperiidae), has a wingspan between 1.5 – 2.5 inches. Both sexes look identical. Although it belongs to the Spread-wing Skippers, this species usually perches with its wings closed. The ground color of the wings and body...
Year end is a time of reflection, and what a year it has been! Contrary to expectations, the easing of the pandemic and Covid restrictions did not return everything to the same state as before. As I’ve reported earlier, we took advantage of forced down time to reflect on processes and activities and reinvent ourselves...
Cooler weather brings the best season for planting in southern California, and staff and volunteers have been busy with many beautification, maintenance, safety, and planting projects. We’ve also been busy with events and activities, as reported below. Gardens and Grounds: Miguel Estrada hired three new student workers, Brittany Carnero, Dahlia Vamstad, and Jai Moreno who...
Not too many people stick with a job for 40 years, but for Pam Roose there’s no other place she would rather work than a Botanic Gardens. When you love plants and nature as much as Pam does, the years seem to fly by. Pam began as a volunteer in the Gardens in 1983 and...
Since I became Gardens Manager, I have walked the Gardens more times than most people. I have walked the Gardens in triple-digit temperatures, pouring rain, and windy conditions. In my experience, the transition periods are the best times to go a little farther in your Gardens walk. That means if you are accustomed to mostly...
The Box Springs Mountains and surrounding areas are home to an animal that can cause visitors to do a double-take. This animal is so bold that it will often stick its head right through a car window in the hopes of a human-provided treat. The animal we are discussing is of course the wild donkeys...
The California Tortoiseshell, or Tortie (Nymphalis californica), in the family Nymphalidae, is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 2 to 2 3/4 inches. The color of the dorsal side of the wings is pumpkin orange with huge black wing borders with slightly scalloped edges. In addition, there are three large, black, irregular shapes along...
Art in the Gardens Saturday, November 5, 2022 10:00 am-3:00 pm Join us for the 9th Art in the Gardens This will be a wonderful opportunity to purchase unique and beautiful art pieces (maybe shop early for the holidays!) enjoy light refreshments, and spend time exploring the 40-acre Gardens including the Rose Gardens, Butterfly Garden...
Please join us for an In-Person Succulent Pumpkin Centerpiece Class on October 29, 2022 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. This $45.00 workshop will be presented by Master Gardener Linda Powell in the UCRBG Meeting Room: UC Riverside Botanic Gardens Meeting Room, 1 Botanic Gardens Drive, Riverside, CA 92507 Learn how to take a lovely...
Butterfly Garden UC Master Gardener docents are available in the Butterfly Garden on the first and third Sunday of the month March-November, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, to answer questions about Gardening for Butterflies including the life cycle of butterflies and which plants to choose to attract butterflies. More dates through October 16, 2022 Learn...
Imagine you are a beetle flying over a rainforest canopy. You are on a mission—seeking out an intoxicating scent that will mark the perfect spot to lay your eggs. Suddenly, you smell it: the unmistakable, irresistible scent of rotting flesh. Entranced, you descend to this decadent stench. You find your target—it is a strange-looking carcass...
Summers are usually quiet in the Gardens; campus slows down after the quarter ends, visitors avoid the heat of midday, and we use the time to catch up on tasks and take some time off. This summer was an exception for one eventful week in July when our first corpse plant bloomed! As you can...
Sunday, July 24, 2022 was a big day for the Botanic Gardens. Almost 1,700 people came to see, and smell, Little Miss Stinky! Although we have several corpse plants ( Amorphophallus titanum), and our oldest is from 1995, this was the first time we had one bloom. It’s a rare event, but it’s even more...
Even if you have never met George Spiliotis, you probably know the name. George does so much for the Gardens that his name is in just about every newsletter and in multiple places in each newsletter. George lived locally for about 30 years before his first visit to the Gardens. He had heard there was...
You may have noticed from the “In the Works” section, that we are working on a Native Bee Garden, which was inspired and funded by generous donations from the family of the late Dr. Martin Barnes, Emeritus Professor of Entomology. If you plan to make several visits throughout the rest of the year, I recommend...
