Botanical Garden Optimization

[Epiphyte]

Which botanical garden in California has the best variety of tropical fruit trees?  I'm guessing that it's the Fullerton Arboretum? 

Several years back I was surprised when the LA Arboretum planted a bunch of tropical fruit trees.  How, exactly, does a botanical garden end up with a decent collection of tropical fruits?  Does credit go to the director, the curator, the board or a generous donor? 

I don't remember seeing any tropical fruit trees at the South Coast Botanic garden, but I did see this donation box...



Imagine if there was a 2nd donation box next to it specifically for tropical fruit trees.  How would you divide your money between the two boxes?

Right now you can decide how you divide your donations between the South Coast Botanic Garden and the Fullerton Arboretum.  But does the Fullerton Arboretum give you the opportunity to divide your donations between tropical fruit trees and roses?  Maybe if you donate enough. 

I've been a member of The Huntington on and off for many years but have never been given the opportunity to specify how my $100+ annual membership gets divided between the library, museum and garden.  How much difference would it make if the members could decide how their dues were divided? 

Let's say that botanical gardens did make it ridiculously easy for all of us to decide how our dues/donations were divided.  Could I guarantee that tropical fruit trees would be the winners?  Sadly no.  All I could guarantee is that botanical gardens would be maximally beneficial. 

And perhaps you'd prefer to hold out for a new director or curator who is gung ho about tropical fruit trees?  I remember being so surprised when I learned that Myron Kimnach, a past director of The Huntington gardens, was gung ho about filmy ferns, especially since he was most well known for succulents.  Here's a pic that I took at Myron's house of him and Elmer Lorenz admiring some Rhipsalis...



Those two guys were so incredibly cool, they are legends in my book, but neither of them told me about the achacha.  That credit goes to the Weird Fruit Explorer guy on Youtube, who seems to have zero interest in sowing any of the precious seeds he ends up with, heh. 

Sure, I've definitely informed curators and directors about plants they've overlooked, but I'm 100% certain it would be more effective to inform everyone instead.   

X = everyone trying to inform 1 person
Y = everyone trying to inform each other

X < Y

We educate each other, we donate to botanical gardens accordingly, and voila, optimization. 

[Rispa]

You might have better luck taking the director of your local garden out to eat some cool exotic fruits

[johnb51]

You would think that any serious arboretum would have a section devoted to fruiting trees, especially in SoCal where such a diversity can be grown.  And it's even fairly easy to maintain most at a reasonable size.  Employees could enjoy the fruit, as well.

[socalbalcony2]

Sherman library and gardens has a fruiting cacao, maybe worth adding to your list

[elouicious]

I can only speak to my experience with the Houston Botanic Garden (HBG), of which I am a big fan.

Generally there is a horticultural director for a botanic garden that is generally in charge of what gets planted where. This person probably unilaterally gets to decide how many fruit trees there are in the garden. HBG is still very young having opened in 2019 and they have a lot of space to plant things out.

A while ago we did a fundraiser on this forum to donate there and gift some trees as well. I think they really handle situations like this on a case by case basis and persistence goes a long way.

While these things can be managed well unfortunately we have to consider that people may be litigious after eating a bad fruit, climbing a tree and breaking a limb, etc... which makes having fruit trees another headache to consider.

[pagnr]

Some of the Botanic Gardens in Australia have pretty much run of the mill stuff in their Tropical Fruit collections.
Nothing you wouldn't see outside the gates in a home garden.
It's a tough choice maybe ?
Some people are completely unfamiliar with many tropical fruits at all, never seen common types.
On the other hand many enthusiasts would probably have a better collection of species or varieties.
Some have private collections of world significance.
And some of these people are keeping those to themselves.
( You know who you are, and don't think I don't know what you are doing.
So we are in a global pandemic, that is still no excuse )

[Epiphyte]

Sherman library and gardens has a fruiting cacao, maybe worth adding to your list

Cool, I love that little garden.  Where is the cacao?  Guessing it's in the greenhouse?  The Huntington has, or had, a fruiting cacao in their conservatory, which harbors a few other tropical fruit trees.  A month or two ago I saw a big fruit on their jackfruit tree.  Also saw a bunch of fruits on their Pouteria calistophylla. 

The LA Arboretum also has a jackfruit tree.  Even though it's a lot smaller I prefer it because it is outside, unlike the jackfruit in the conservatory at the Huntington.  It is counterproductive when plants that can be grown outdoors are grown in greenhouses in botanical gardens because it gives the impression that they can't be grown outdoors. 

[shaneatwell]

Many charitable organizations allow you to specify what your donations are or are not to be used for. Try that. Obviously doesnt apply to membership fees.

[Rispa]

Have any of you visited this one? A brilliant and famous bird person now works there.

https://www.junglegardens.org/