Upcoming Programs:

Meetings start at 7:15 p.m. in the County Fair Building at The San Francisco Botanical Gardens You can meet the speakers for a walk through San Francisco Botanical Gardens at Strybing Arboretum at 4:00 in front of the Botanical Garden bookstore (9th Avenue & Lincoln Way). If you're not a member, there is a Guest Fee of $5.

2012
March

Steppe Sisters.... note special meeting location... CCSF
by Panayoti Kelaidis, Denver Botanical Garden
PanayotiSteppe climates occur to the east of all the major Mediterranean climates on earth, sharing great similarities of flora and fauna despite their far more extreme weather patterns and cold. Panayoti will be doing a quick tour of the four principal Steppe regions on earth: the Mediterranean and its steppe-sister, the Irano-Turanian floristic region; South Africa's Fynbos and neighboring Karoo; the Patagonian steppe across the Andes from the Chilean littoral, and California itself, nestled against the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau and interior steppe of Western America..
The Steppe sisters encompass collectively an enormous percentage of the world's plant species, and a great deal of the lore and history that have sustained humans in their evolution.

FebruaryGrowing South African Bulbs
by Ernesto Sandoval, UC Davis Botanical Conservatory
Do you like bulbs?  Ernesto Sandoval, director of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory, will be talking about his experience growing South African bulbs .   Ernesto will be bringing bulbs and other botanical beauties suited for Northern California for you to buy for the benefit of  the Botanical Conservatory.  Nerine, Lachenallia, Albuca, Cyrtanthus and an assortment of other bulbs including a few CA natives will be available as well as less common Aloes and other succulents from South Africa and elsewhere.
January

Aloes of South Africa's Winter Rainfall Region
by Brian Kemble, Curator, The Ruth Bancroft Garden

from Oct 2010 SJ News South Africa is home to many species in the genus Aloe, including a diverse assortment occurring in the winter-rain region along the west coast. These species have a particular relevance to gardeners in California because the same regimen of dry summers and rainy winters is found here. Brian will discuss Aloe distans as well as many unknown but useful species for our climate.

 
Previous Programs

Programs from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011