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All the United States California San Francisco Mescaline Grove

Mescaline Grove

A favorite haunt of dinosaur loving children and hallucinogen loving hippies alike.

San Francisco, California

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Annetta Black
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Vintage postcard showing the fern dell, on display at the Beach Chalet  
The grove during the winter   jyackabonis / Atlas Obscura User
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Just across from the Conservatory of Flowers, a forest of enormous tree ferns surround perennially damp, winding paths. These exotic tree ferns, native to Australia and New Zealand were first introduced to the park under the tree-planting fervor of John McLaren, who received the first specimens from a visitor sometime before 1890.

Over the years the planting was expanded, and the trees have largely thrived in the city’s weather, some varieties more than others: Although the dell was originally populated with four types, it is now home to only the Dicksonia antarctica from New Zealand and the Sphaeropteris cooperi from Australia

Officially known as the Tree Fern Dell, the garden’s otherworldly appearance gave rise to the nickname “Mescaline Grove” in the 1960s.

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Know Before You Go

The Tree Fern Dell is located directly across JFK Drive from the Conservatory of Flowers

Community Contributors

Added By

Annetta Black

Edited By

hrnick, jyackabonis

  • hrnick
  • jyackabonis

Published

July 25, 2011

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Sources
  • Christopher Pollock; “San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park - A Thousand Acres of Stories” 2001, West Winds Press
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicksonia_antarctica
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyathea_cooperi
Mescaline Grove
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
United States
37.771364, -122.461429

Nearby Places

San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

San Francisco, California

miles away

John McLaren Statue

San Francisco, California

miles away

Golden Gate Park Druid Circles

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

Nearby Places

San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

San Francisco, California

miles away

John McLaren Statue

San Francisco, California

miles away

Golden Gate Park Druid Circles

San Francisco, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of San Francisco

San Francisco

California

Places 213
Stories 50

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