I spent this past weekend in Sonoma County, California visiting family. At the request of one of the blog’s avid readers, I was convinced that I needed to go and visit the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens in Santa Rosa. And, I am sure glad that I did!
Who is Luther Burbank?
Luther Burbank is a horticulturalist who, throughout his career, bred and introduced over 800 new plant varieties. Of those 800 varieties, at least 250 of them were different stone fruit crops. When you stop and think about it, that is really incredible!
At the garden, a quote from Luther Burbank is posted that reads: “I shall be content if because of me there shall be better fruits and fairer flowers.” For me, that sums up his life’s goal. He spent over 50 years living in Santa Rosa, CA and worked on his breeding program in between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol (a nearby town, also located in Sonoma County). The home he lived in and the gardens where he worked on his breeding program in Santa Rosa are now the site of the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens that is open to the public.
What Can You See at the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens?
The great thing about the gardens is that they showcase of both the successes and failures of Luther Burbank. The examples of failures are really interesting because they show his thought process and what he was trying to create through his work. Some memorable examples include:
- Kiwifruit – There was a display of kiwifruit that explained how Luther Burbank received seeds from a New Zealander in 1904. At that time, kiwifruit was known as mao-li-dzi (translated to “hairy plum”), and he tried to introduce it to the United States. After the fruit did not become popular using its translated name, Luther Burbank gave up on it.
- Spineless cacti – There was a display of multiple failed attempts, describing how Luther Burbank tried to create a spineless variety. His goal was to create a spineless variety so that cattle could eat it in dry, desert regions.
Some of his successes that were shown at the gardens included:
- Thornless blackberries and raspberries – This was a long process for him. He initially attempted this breeding process in the 1880s and after many failed experiments, he gave up. However, after receiving a semi-thornless dewberry variety in the early 1900s, he gave it another go and ended up creating 19 thornless varieties in total.
- Plums – As I mentioned above, Luther Burbank was responsible for introducing over 250 varieties of stone fruit. That includes plums. (For those of you in the produce industry, does the ‘Santa Rosa’ plum ring a bell?) Different plum varieties are on display among five different trees. There are multiple different plum grafts located on each tree, and they continue to add new grafts as new Burbank varieties are located throughout the area.
I also really enjoyed the rose garden. We went at the right time, when all of the rose bushes were in bloom and there were so many different types, that it was really a sight to see! I have included some of my favorites below!
Where is the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens Located?
The gardens are located in Santa Rosa, CA. If you live near San Francisco or are visiting the area, it is about one hour north. It is also on the way to wine country! Also, if you are visiting the Sonoma/Napa area, it is only about thirty minutes to the west.
Who Should Visit the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens?
Everyone. When we visited, there were families there with their children, and tourists there with their cameras. However, I think it is still a hidden treasure because it was not overly impacted. Another great perk about the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens is that it is open free to the public. There is even a free audio tour you can take, or a guided tour that you could pay for.
It is located in the middle of the city, but the gardens were immaculate. There were also workers on-site to answer any questions you may have.
You just have to make sure and bring your allergy medicine if you visit during the spring time!
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Nice article Megan. I know about Luther Burbank, and I’ve planted my own Santa Rosa Plum trees, but I never put the two together – DOH!
I’ve been wanting to tour the LB Home & Garden for quite some time. I think this will get me motivated to do it.
Thanks!
sorry. this is superficial journalistic treatment of profound subject. live longer, study more, try again and harder.