Two years ago, Quail Botanical Gardens changed its name to San
Diego Botanic Garden to better express its identity in the San
Diego metropolitan area. Less than a mile from the Pacific
Ocean, it enjoys a virtually frost-free climate, allowing the
staff to grow a wide array of plants—from palms and cycads to
bromeliads and aloes. The botanical collections are displayed in
twenty-seven gardens; several of the older gardens have recently
been renovated. Lying at the heart of the San Diego Botanic
Garden (SDBG) is the African Garden, situated between the
Visitor Center and the 1918 Larabee House. It includes the
oldest tree in the garden, a skyline gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx)
over eighty feet tall. In 1943, Ruth and Charles Larabee
purchased the property and set out a number of plants on the
grounds, many of which survive today. In 1957, Ruth Larabee
donated the property to the County of San Diego to be developed
as a park. It opened to the public in 1971 as Quail Botanical
Gardens, with many new plants throughou