Native Garden

Education Station #3

Native plants are essential for supporting local wildlife and ecosystems. They attract birds, insects, and small mammals, who depend on them for food and nesting materials. Native plants also require less water and help with soil health and erosion control. Anyone can participate in this effort by planting natives in their yard, in pots on their porch, or balcony.

OVGG’s Native Garden Bed

Developing Our Native Garden

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Native Plants & Wildfires

With worsening wildfires in California due to climate change, removing invasive plants and reintroducing natives is essential. Invasive grasses die off every year, leaving a dead, dry blanket of tinder on the ground, causing fires to spread faster and more easily. Native California plants co-evolved with wildfires and are more fire resistant, and regenerate quicker after a wildfire event.

Enhance Wildlife Support

Native plants attract pollinators, such as bees, birds and butterflies. Pollinating is essential to the survival of most seed plants.

While bees might be the most well-known, other insects, including butterflies, flies, moths, beetles, and wasps, also pollinate. Birds, bats, other small mammals, and lizards can act as pollinators, as well.

Pollinators! Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus).

The Figeater Beetle (Cotinis mutabilis)

Bees you may find in your native garden! Digger bee (Anthophora urbana), Hoplitis fulgida, and Crotch bumble bee (Bombus crotchii).

Our Native Plants

Check out the Native Plants we have at OVGG!

California Fuschia

Verbena de la Mina

Apricot Globe Mallow

Deer Grass

Velvet Leaf Mallow

California Poppies

San Diego Viguiera/Sunflower

Narrowleaf Milkweed