Every year, the San Francisco Botanical Garden explodes into a beautiful spectrum of deep magentas and bright pinks. The “Magnificent Magnolias” event occurs in January through March. The garden has announced the first blooms in early January, which is slightly ahead of schedule. Luckily, you have a few months to see the beautiful winter blossoms.
The oldest magnolia tree in the garden, Magnolia campbellii in the Camellia Garden, has welcomed its first blooms of the season. You can also see a few blooms on the M. campbellii in the Great Meadow near the Main Entrance.
SF residents can enjoy free admission to the SF Botanical Garden every day, and non-residents can visit for free between 7:30 and 9 a.m. daily or on the second Tuesday of each month.
The SF Botanical Garden is home to 63 species and 49 cultivars of Magnolias, including a Magnolia campbellii tree, which was the first one of its kind to be planted in the United States back in 1940. Other Magnolia species include M. ‘Royal Crown,’ M. doltsopa, M. amoena, M. campbellii ‘Strybing White,’ M. denudata, and M. x alba.
Magnolias are ancient flowering trees native to Asia and the New World. The SF Botanical Garden cultivates species from dozens of different climates, including the forests of the Himalayas and Mesoamerica. Find hundreds of blossoms, many of them rare and exotic, in the Great Meadow and the Camellia Garden.
The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a beautiful, relaxing green space with 7,700 types of plants across 55 acres. Be sure to check out the Ancient Plant Garden, the Garden of Fragrance, the Moon Viewing Garden, and many others for an unforgettable outdoor experience. You can visit at 1199 9th Ave in SF’s Golden Gate Park from 7:30 am-5 pm, 7 days a week.