Avid local horticulturists don’t have to trek around the globe to see rare plants, not when they can take a trip to UCSB.

The Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration at the university has created a self-guided walking tour of the campus’ unusual specimens collected from six continents and propagated over the years, aided by favorable weather, good growing conditions and enthusiastic botanists. The tour is part of the university’s Campus Flora project, funded by the Elvenia Slosson Foundation at UC Davis.

Just how rare and unusual are these plants? Well, on the west side of Webb Hall at the east end of campus, it’s like a walk in the park. Jurassic Park. Specimens like Araucaria bidwilli, or false monkey puzzle tree, which shared the land with dinosaurs, make their home there. The dawn redwood (Metasequioa glyptostroboides), once thought to be ancient history, lives near South Hall. Many of the trees in the tour were grown from seed or propagated from specimens gathered by UCSB botanists, including the late Vernon I. Cheadle, the university’s chancellor from 1962-77. Some of these plants are found nowhere else in Santa Barbara County.
“Each plant on campus has a wonderful story to tell,” said project manager Bree Belyea, who, along with colleagues, is cataloguing the rare plants for an upcoming website, where eventually, people will be able to tailor their own tours. A tour of the lagoon is also available, and tours focusing on palms and edible plants are in the works.

Visitors can get information on the specimens and where they are by picking up the free illustrated brochure in the UCSB Visitor Center, the bookstore and Cheadle Center. To download, visit www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=1570.

For more information on the Cheadle Center, visit ccber.lifesci.ucsb.edu or call 893-4211.

Interested?