Volunteers at Hahamonga sow support for natives plants
Deep inside Hahamongna Watershed Park, local conservationists have built a cooperative plant nursery they hope will educate citizens about the benefits of going native and eventually provide a horticultural lifeline to the ecologically threatened Arroyo Seco Canyon.
Members of the Arroyo Seco Foundation, working with Pasadena Water and Power, have leased through December a portion of the park’s property from the city of Pasadena to resurrect a long-defunct nursery space for the cultivation of plant species gathered directly from the canyon and surrounding foothills area.
Foundation members and volunteers have so far propagated more than 3,200 plants representing nearly 80 local species. Nursery manager Nicholas Hernandez, a man of Southern California tribal descent who also goes by the name Nicholas Hummingbird, collects most of the seeds and clippings from his walks through the area.
“We want to be a resource not only for the Arroyo Seco, but for the community at large,” Hernandez said. “It’s imperative we all come together and learn the importance of our native plants.”
During a recent tour of the property, Hernandez showcased local herb, flower and tree specimens and discussed the many advantages local plants can bring to a yard or home garden.
Black sage (salvia mellifera), for example, adds a spicy flavor to foods but also attracts bees while repelling harmful insects. Put into a tea, it reputedly fights colds. Soaked into a compress, it is said to ease arthritis and muscle aches. Another native, a California lavender, attracts more local pollinators than the French variety sold in stores and planted by homeowners.
Nearby, a small potted Engelmann oak, (Quercus engelmannii, also called the Pasadena oak), represents a species native to Southern California but nearly extinct.
“They used to abound here, inside the park even, but now there’s only a handful of them left,” Hernandez said, explaining how garden centers and grocery store offerings, along with aesthetic preference, disproportionately affect the natural selection of plants.
Building the nursery is one component of a much larger effort to restore local water collection and ecosystems unique to the area, according to Tim Brick, the foundation’s executive director.
In 2011, the foundation secured a $3.3-million grant through the state’s Integrated Regional Water Management Program to expand Pasadena’s water intake capabilities and improve environmental conditions for local fish and wildlife.
PWP raised another $8 million, and together the two groups created the Arroyo Seco Canyon Project, a multiyear environmental improvement effort. The water agency assumed management of the project, allowing the foundation to head outreach, planning and habitat restoration efforts, including the nursery, Brick said.
Although a lawsuit filed by an out-of-state resident over parts of the project has temporarily halted progress, Brick hopes the nursery can continue to cultivate local species and involve locals in the effort to restore native plants to a position of prominence.
“We want to really turn it into a long-term lease, because we really think this is a valuable asset for the future,” Brick said. “People are really excited about the possibilities, so we’re going to try to keep it going one way or another.”
With a free workshop from Hernandez on native grasses planned for Sunday morning from 9 to 11 a.m., as well as a Nov. 1 “Twilight at Hahamongna” open-house celebration from 4 to 7 p.m., foundation members are hoping to spread the word about the Arroyo Seco Canyon Project and the importance of cultivating native species at home.
“Our goal is to try and restore the park into a healthy ecosystem. When the time comes, we’re going to need as many La Cañadans as we can to make this a reality,” Hernandez said.
For directions to the nursery in Hahamongna Park, visit, arroyoseco.org, or call (323) 405-7326.
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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @saracardine
