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From the Archives: Dara E. Emery and His Love of Seed
By Hannah Barton, Garden Archivist
This year marks 60 years since Dara E. Emery, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s first onstaff horticulturist and plant breeder, published his research on the propagation of California’s native plant seed. Compiled in 1964, Dara shared his knowledge on the topic in one of the Garden’s occasional series, Leaflets, which was provided for free to Garden members. The resulting 16-page pamphlet proved to be so popular that individuals and institutions from all over the state were regularly writing to the Garden and enclosing their 50 cents in hopes of being sent a copy of the publication. The enthusiasm around the distribution of this valuable knowledge eventually led Dara to compile all his research and tested methods into an updated and expanded book which he published in 1988.
Even today, his book, “Seed Propagation of Native California Plants,” remains the gold standard in research on the topic. It serves a broad audience, providing information on the basics of seed propagation, as well as encyclopedic charts on propagation specifications for hundreds of California’s native plant species. Since it was first published, the publication has been a best seller and continues to be updated. The latest edition, published in 2021 with changes to plant names, can be purchased in the Garden Shop.
In Dara’s oral history, a recorded interview conducted with him in 1985 and on record in the Garden’s Blaksley Library, he further explained the necessity for expanding and updating a publication on this important research. He added that many new discoveries had been made in the 20 years since first publishing his Leaflet and shared, “Certain things were sometimes taken for granted which you might or might not be aware of … day and night temperature, for example. Was it finally germinated in the greenhouse or outside, and what was the temperature? Or how old was the seed, and what was the source of the seed? All these things, we’ve come to find out, have bearing.”
If you are interested in learning more about Dara’s work and his countless contributions to the Garden and native plant horticulture, you can request the transcript of Dara E. Emery’s oral history from our Library via our website. If you find yourself eager and inspired from that, we have you covered. Explore the Garden’s Plant Introduction Program, where you can find beautiful, hardy, and climate-adapted native plant cultivars perfectly suited for California gardens. This is a wonderful program where we continue to honor Dara’s work by encouraging everyone to grow native plants.
