S.F. gardens come alive in March

Spring comes early in San Francisco, and March is the perfect time to visit the Strybing Arboretum, a 55-acre horticultural oasis in Golden Gate Park.

The arboretum has 26 separate gardens with 7,500 varieties of plants from around the world, from brugmanias in the South American collection to the new Australian garden’s lilly-pilly tree, which bears edible purple fruit. The magnolias will also still be in bloom in March, and the rhododendron flowers will be on their way.

Admission to the arboretum is free. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends and holidays. Call (415) 661-1316 for details or visit www.sfbotanicalgarden.org.

Gardeners who are in town March 16 to 20 will also want to check out the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show at the Cow Palace. Go to www.gardenshow.com for more information.