Dahlia Dell and Peacock Meadow: San Francisco's Official Flower

Why is it significant?

Stroll down into the sheltered, sunlit hollow of the Dahlia Dell, nestled just southwest of the Conservatory of Flowers beneath sheltering cypress boughs.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Stroll down into the sheltered, sunlit hollow of the Dahlia Dell, nestled just southwest of the Conservatory of Flowers beneath sheltering cypress boughs. In October 1926, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors officially declared the dahlia the official flower of the City and County of San Francisco, praising its radiant colors, resilient vigor, and endless variety as a reflection of the city's cosmopolitan spirit. Maintained by dedicated volunteer members of the Dahlia Society of California, this sunken garden presents hundreds of prize-winning cultivars blooming in a dazzling riot of color from June through October.

Look closely at the astonishing geometric perfection of the dahlia blooms. You will see miniature pompons tightly clustered like honeycomb balls, giant 'dinnerplate' dahlias measuring over a foot across, cactus cultivars with spiked petals, and soft waterlily varieties in shades ranging from velvety burgundy to fluorescent orange and creamy white. Because San Francisco's mild maritime summers rarely experience scorching heat waves, dahlias thrive here with an intensity unmatched in most continental climates.

The dahlia is native to the cloud forests of Mexico and Guatemala, where Aztec gardeners cultivated the tubers for food and medicinal uses under the Nahuatl name acocoxochitl. Brought to Europe in the late eighteenth century, the plant became a worldwide botanical sensation. Walking through this historic neighborhood reveals layers of community determination, architectural pride, and cultural resilience that continue to define the vibrant spirit of modern California. Walking through this historic neighborhood reveals layers of community determination, architectural pride, and cultural resilience that continue to define the vibrant spirit of modern California. Walking through this historic neighborhood reveals layers of community determination, architectural pride, and cultural resilience that continue to define the vibrant spirit of modern California.

Nearby Peacock Meadow was historically home to free-roaming peacocks gifted to the park in the 1890s; today, it provides an open green lawn where visitors relax away from vehicle traffic.

Walk south across Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, descending the quiet stone staircase into the National AIDS Memorial Grove.