No one chose to live on this barren rock; on Alcatraz the prisoners, birds and even the plants had to battle for the bare necessities. And now as the island grows more and more wild, it's a battle of wills between gardeners and Mother Nature. Preservation is important: If some of the plant species on the island are lost, Alcatraz could lose its national landmark status. The solution lies in a plan to stabilize, maintain and repair the gardens, developed by the National Park Service and the Olmsted Center, an organization dedicated to the preservation of national historic gardens like Alcatraz. The idea is simple: divide the island into three sections and restore the landscape to its prominent era--from ornamental Victorian tea gardens to a colorful terraced garden planted by inmates.
Another challenge is preserving the essential plants whose existence is threatened by the presence of visitors. Alcatraz supports an abundant colony of narcissus paperwhites. In the fall before flowers bloom, the bulbs are hard to spot, and feet that stray from the beaten path often trample them. Park rangers and volunteers are moving them to safer areas.
But what happens to plants that are nearly gone? The answer lies in a project to preserve, grow and maintain--off site--rare Alcatraz plants. Nursery senior manager Betty Young is propagating some of the more uncommon roses, pelargoniums or geraniums and fuchsias. One of the island's extremely rare rose bushes is the 'General MacArthur' named for Arthur MacArthur, commander of the post on Alcatraz during the 1890s and father of World War II General Douglas MacArthur. Only two bushes remain on the island.
Young takes hardwood cuttings in the winter when the rose is dormant. She selects a strong, healthy, well-developed branch, where the buds are completely dormant. "With dormant hardwood cuttings," she explains, "you have to get pretty fat branches because the food inside the branch is what will feed the plant while it's making roots." She cuts them into 8-inch segments and tucks them in a bag, adding a little water.
Across the bay in Marin County, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area has a nursery for propagating these rare plants. They grow new roots in the greenhouse and someday will return to Alcatraz as flourishing rose bushes. It's an important step in preserving the rare plants of Alcatraz.
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