SPECIAL EXHIBITS

In SPECIAL EXHIBITS, young and old alike will learn something new and different each time they visit the Conservatory. In addition to presenting seasonal floral displays with San Francisco flair, this gallery houses changing, thematic exhibits.

Edible Expeditions
May 7 – November 1, 2009

Photo Credit: Nina Sazevich

Vanilla, chocolate, coffee and curry – easy to find in the grocery store aisle, but how about in the jungle? This summer, the Conservatory of Flowers offers visitors a chance to see their food in the wild in a new exhibition called Edible Expeditions on view May 7 – November 1, 2009. It's a discovery journey of edible plants from around the world full of surprises about the treats we eat.

Arranged in lush demonstration gardens, Edible Expeditions highlights the many delicious products that we enjoy from tropical countries. Over 50 species of popular and lesser-known plants will be displayed by geographic distribution.

Featured in the North American garden is the reigning king of candy – chocolate. The cacao tree is a native of the deep tropics of the Americas. This small evergreen tree produces bright orange fruit pods full of the seeds from which chocolate is made. The scientific name Theobroma means "food of the gods", a reflection of the central role this plant played in the creation stories of ancient Mesoamerican cultures. Cacao beans became so important in the Aztec empire that they were used as currency.

Visitors will also encounter another staple of the kingdom of sweets – vanilla. This fleshy vining plant is actually an orchid -- the only orchid, in fact, that is widely used in the kitchen. It can grow up to 300 feet in a tropical setting. The mouth-watering flavor is derived from the black seed pods which have earned the distinction as the second most expensive spice after saffron.

The North American garden also features sapote, cherimoya, papaya, pacaya, allspice, banana and more.

In the South American garden, visitors will find the yerba mate plant. All over South America, the leaves and twigs of this plant are enjoyed as a tea-like beverage. From Peru to Argentina, friends regularly sit down to drink mate sipped from a shared hollow gourd through a metal straw.

Photo Credit: Nina Sazevich

Next to the yerba mate plant is the chocolate pudding tree, sometimes called black sapote. The meat of the apple-sized fruits actually looks and tastes something like chocolate pudding and is enjoyed right off the tree or processed into ice cream, sweet beverages and more.

On view here is also the pineapple -- common today, but at one time a status symbol of the wealthy. Native to Brazil, Columbus is thought to have been the first European to encounter the succulent fruit. He brought it back to Spain and soon European royal families developed a liking for it. Here in America, the pineapple has long been a symbol of hospitality. In colonial times, hostesses would display them on the dining table. So important were they to a successful party that ladies would rent them from the local grocer for the night if they couldn't afford to buy one.

Other plants featured in the South American garden include the ice cream bean, peach palm, guava, a type of edible philodendron and more.

Across the ocean, the Asian garden features the jackfruit, the largest tree borne fruit in the world, seldom less than 10 inches in diameter. Native to India, the jackfruit has been cultivated there as long as 6000 years ago and is now eaten across Asia in a multitude of ways from curry dishes to chips. It is also thought to be the basis of the flavor for Juicy Fruit gum.

From southern China comes the longan tree. In Cantonese, long-ngan means dragon eye. One look at the meat of this fruit and you'll know why. When shelled, the black seed shows through the translucent flesh, peering at you like a large eyeball. The fruit is used in a variety of soups, snacks and sweets and is also used medicinally.

Other plants featured in the Asian garden include taro, curry, rice and more.

Plants from Africa like coffee are found in a fragrant border garden.

In addition to the living collection of edible plants, families will enjoy the many hands on Edibilicious activities that allow children to explore tropical roots, fruits, leaves and seeds with their senses. Activities include the Scentilicious sniff test, a Digilicious root digging activity, the Artilicious leaf rubbing station, a tasty treasure hunt and more. A Children's Adventure Passport can also be purchased for just $2 in the gift store for use in the exhibit.

The exhibit also features a collection of pen and ink illustrations created by artists studying under Mary L. Harden in the botanical illustration program at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Created on site in the Conservatory greenhouses, these drawings provide detailed portraits of the edible portions of many of the plants on display.