Luther Burbank

Luther Burbank was born in
Lancaster, Massachusetts, on March 7, 1849. In California, his
birthday is celebrated as Arbor Day and trees are planted in his
memory. The famed horticulturist made his home in Santa Rosa, California for
more than 50 years and it was there that he conducted plant-breeding
experiments that brought him world reknown.

One of Burbank's goals was to manipulate the
characteristics of plants and thereby increase the world's food
supply. Burbank developed an improved spineless cactus which could
be grown in desert regions and provide forage for livestock. During
his career, Burbank introduced more than 800 new varieties of plants
-- including over 200 varieties of fruits, many vegetables, nuts and
grains, and hundreds of ornamental flowers.

Burbank was a friend of both Thomas Edison and Henry
Ford (pictured here) and both men visited at the Burbank home. It
was Burbank's legacy that cast the City of Santa Rosa as the City
Designed for Living and inspired the annual Rose Parade which
celebrates Burbank's memory and showcases the people and talents of
the community.

On Burbank's death in 1926 he was buried near his
greenhouse on the grounds of his home. Burbank's home and garden are
located downtown, and have been certified as Registered National,
State, and City Historical Landmarks.

For more about Burbank's life or virtual visits to our museum and grounds, visit the links below.

Retrospective by A.
J. Stumpf

LBH&G
Virtual Tour and Museum -- Visit Us!

Burbank's Experiment
Farm Historical Site, Sebastopol
California