By KITTY CONNOLLY
The Cambria Wildflower Show, now in its 17th year, will be held at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 1000 Main Street, on Saturday, April 26, from 12 to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The show combines a stunning spectacle of floral diversity with the order of botanical classification. More than 500 different kinds of plants are arranged by family and identified by common and scientific name, but their impressive colors and cool shapes really catch the eye.
The plants are all freshly collected by trained volunteers who have special permission to collect. They try to gather as many of the 840 wild plants native as they can find from the Monterey County line south to Morro Bay Estuary, and inland to the ridge of the Santa Lucia Mountains.
Once the collectors bring their treasures to Vets Hall, another crew starts arranging the specimens. Hundreds of antique and unusual glass bottles and vases complement the diversity of the flora and are an added attraction in the show.
Plant experts will be there to answer questions on the edible, medicinal, rare, invasive and poisonous plants on display. Each visitor will go home with a list of informative books.
In addition, snacks and drinks will be for sale at the Wildflower Café. Be sure to check out the plant-themed items for sale from the Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve and the San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.
More than 800 hours of volunteer work go into making this show happen each year. Friends of Fiscalini Ranch Preserve hope that everyone enjoys the beauty of wildflowers with us!
The cost of admission is $5, but the show is free for students.
