Down the Rabbit Hole
at Aloes in Wonderland
Santa Barbara Nursery Is a Playground
of Rare and Fantastical Plants
By Tyler Hayden | Photos by Ingrid Bostrom
May 25, 2023
Read more of our Home & Garden 2023 stories here.
All the whimsy of Wonderland is here, but instead of giant mushrooms, there are rows of 12-foot aloes. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are a pair of big-bellied bottle trees squatting in the sun. Blooming cacti replace singing flowers, rabbits are much less concerned about the hour, and while no hatter is to be found, there is a mad genius of horticulture to show you around.
This is Aloes in Wonderland, a specialty nursery with a twist. Most of the merchandise — approximately 10,000 plants representing 500 species of succulents, palms, agaves, and more — is still rooted in the earth. Everything is therefore bigger and fuller than what you could ever hope to find in a pot. Customers schedule a tour, pick what they like, then dig out their purchases or arrange for a transplant. Prices range from $25 to $25,000.
The Sycamore Canyon property is overseen by Jeff Chemnick, who also happens to live there. He arrived in 1988 from San Diego with a botany degree and ambitions of creating something beyond a traditional nursery. “I always wanted to be the guy who has specimens,” he explained. “I’m a sucker for the unusual.” Chemnick built out his for-sale garden with an impressive collection of rare and exotic plants, and things went well for a while. That is, until the 2008 Tea Fire roared through.
You must be logged in to post a comment.