The WFVZ Native Plant Garden

Well, many of the plants have been in the ground for almost a year now and are looking great! The elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) shrubs are almost 3 m tall and the purple sage (Salvia leucophylla) are in full bloom. We have recently added many new plants such as narrow-leaved milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), western wallflower (Erysimum ammophilum), and deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens). Native wildflower seeds (Eschscholzia sp., Clarkis sp., Gilia sp.) that were sewn last fall are blooming orange, pink, purple, blue, and white and have attracted a variety of insects. Many different birds are visiting our garden as well and some have become permanent residents. Anna's Hummingbirds (Calypte anna), Say's Phoebes (Sayornis saya), Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regulus calendula), House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) and Western and Cassin's kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis & T. vociferans) have all been spotted in addition to many common species. Bridget Greuel, Assistant Collections Manager, has taken over care and maintenance of the garden and has a great time makeing sure all the plants are doing well.

There is still a lot more work to be done. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please let us know!

To see past garden photos, visit the archived page!

Large elderberry shrubs, young oak trees, and San Clemente Island black sage line the area between the street & parking lot.

Purple sage, deer grass, clarkia, and poppies in front of the building.

A young crimson hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) already in bloom!

The wildflower garden. Notice the startled American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) at center- left.

Pink clarkia and California poppies.

Another look at the prolific elderberry and black sage.

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