SAN FRANCISCO, CA – As the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary is celebrated citywide this weekend—with festivities including the sold-out Dead & Company shows at Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field—the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department has paid tribute to the band’s enduring legacy with a special rose planting in Golden Gate Park’s Rose Garden.
Eight newly developed ‘Grateful Dead’ hybrid tea roses have been planted in the front right bed of the garden. Vibrant, fragrant, and deep red in color, the roses were bred by JB Williams and Associates, a renowned third-generation rose breeding family based in Maryland. The variety was specially named to honor the band’s cultural impact and connection to San Francisco.
Roses hold special meaning in Grateful Dead lore, often appearing in the band’s lyrics, album covers, and iconography.
“This weekend is going to be one for the books—between the three back-to-back Dead & Company shows, Shakedown Street on the JFK Promenade, and Jerry Day at McLaren Park, among many other events across the city,” said SF Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “This tribute not only celebrates the Grateful Dead’s deep San Francisco roots, but also enhances the beauty and history of our cherished Rose Garden—ensuring the band’s legacy continues to bloom in Golden Gate Park.”
Rec and Park gardeners planted the roses Friday morning, ensuring optimal growing conditions in their new home.
The idea for the Grateful Dead rose began when Wendy Weir, sister of Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir, approached JB Williams & Associates with the vision to create a rose in honor of the band.
“What started as a dream has now become a reality,” said Wendy Weir. “This planting is the perfect living symbol and testimony to the profound influence that the Grateful Dead has had on San Francisco and millions of fans, past, present, and future.”
The Rose Garden, located along the car-free JFK Promenade near 14th Avenue, was established in 1961. It features everything from the simple five-petal wild rose to hybridized blooms in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and fragrances.
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