Call for Images of The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden Introductions

By Janice Sharp and Deborah Shaw

Akiko Enokido painted this watercolor of Chorisia speciosa, Floss Silk Tree, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. The LA Arboretum has introduced four varieties of Chorisia speciosa. © Akiko Enokido, 2009, all rights reserved.

Starting in 1957 and continuing to the present, The Arboretum has been responsible for the introduction of plants to Southern California from around the world  (click here to download a list of the plants: LaArboretumPlantIntros). Many of these plants are now indispensible elements in our Southern California Gardens.

Recently, BAGSC members donated cards to make boxed collections for Richard Schulhof  (Arboretum CEO) to take as gifts for officials he met on a trip to South Korea. Most of the images used on these cards were of Arboretum Introductions. At the end of the trip a few remaining boxes were placed in the Arboretum Gift Shop for sale. The Gift Shop, Arboretum staff and Foundation Board members, as well as the general public, are very interested in having “Arboretum Plant” note cards stocked in the Gift Shop.

The Arboretum is a good friend of BAGSC, providing class space at very reasonable rates and access to a huge selection of plants. As a result, our members have already painted many plants on the Introduction list or will paint them in the future.

BAGSC is asking its Members to “donate” the use of images they may have, or will create, to be included in an “Arboretum Introduction” card collection. Deborah Shaw is setting up a project area for BAGSC members to upload their high-resolution images, or they can be mailed to her on disc. Each finished card will include:

• the Name of the Artist with the appropriate copyright notice;
• the plant name and the year it was introduced;
• a description of the Arboretum;
• and a description of BAGSC.

Images “donated” will be used ONLY for the purpose of this “Arboretum Introduction” card collection. BAGSC will produce and box the cards. They will be sold to the Arboretum Gift Shop at a modest markup over our costs of production. The profit will go to BAGSC’s general funds.

In addition, the Arboretum Library is to undergo an extensive facelift in the near future. When the work is completed we hope to have an art show featuring the Arboretum Introduction artwork.

If you are interested in participating in this project contact Janice Sharp or Deborah Shaw. Deb will email instructions for uploading images to the web project area.