Desiderio Neighborhood Park

10 N Arroyo BLvd,
Pasadena, CA 91105

A blooming group of coastal sage plants growing in a garden next to the ocean. Delicate pink blooms are visible. — Visiting the Madrona Marsh demonstration gardens is like going on a tiny tour of Southern California ecosystems. (image taken in early June)

A view of the Desiderio Neighborhood Park with the Colorado Street Bridge in the back ground on a sunny day. The Palo Verde is in bloom. — Prickly Pears are becoming a more popular landscaping plant. I mean look at them, just gorgeous. (image taken in early June)

Established:
2019

Size:
3.87 acres

Features:
Historic bridge
Bathrooms
Stream bed
Affordable housing
Playground

Notable Plants:
Arroyo willows (Salix lasiolepis)
Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica)
Mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia)
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida)
Coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis)
Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)

Best time to visit:
Spring and summer:
The park is in bloom from spring to summer. Poppies, palo verde, and the rare bush anemone are all covered in flowers from spring to summer and they are not to be missed. Evening, when the street lights come on would be a charming time to walk through the park.

Tucked underneath the beautiful (and probably haunted) Colorado Street bridge is the Desiderio Neighborhood Park.Filled with birds, poppies, stunning mature coast live oaks (and many younger ones), a dry steambed, a hedge of toyon bushes and a lovely view of the Arroyo Seco.

A main goal in the creation of the park is to repatriate the land. The dry stream bed, planted with grasses, arroyo willows, oak trees and buckwheat, acts as a channel, connecting the park both visually and physically back to the Arroyo Seco. The stream bed moves from being thickly planted with willows, more open, with plants and grasses on either side of the banks.

The park is separated from the housing community by a wall and a thick planting of toyons and the beginnings of a coast live oak grove. The trees and hedge fills two functions, it provides a buffer space for the housing community, while also providing important habitat space.

Along the dry creek is a rare treat, a bunch of bush anemones. This rare bush from the foothills of the Central Valley, is covered in beautiful white blooms in the spring and early summer. They are super drought tolerant and are a great pollinator plant. The bush anemone looks similar to so many common non native landscaping plants, they also can do well in containers (according to Calscape anyway).

“The stream bed moves from being thickly planted with willows, more open, with plants and grasses on either side of the banks. “

One of the most charming features of the park are the light posts. They are the same (or similar) design as the light posts found on the Colorado Street Bridge. Much like how the stream bed connects the park to the Arroyo Seco, the lights connect back to the bridge. It marks the park as an intersection point in the sharp, and often intense, urban to wild interface.

White flowers of the Bush Anemone bloom in the sun. — The beautiful Ithuriels Spear with some super cool grasses and dudleyas. (image taken in early June)

California Poppies growing in a park underneath a bridge. — A show stopping purple sage. (image taken in early June)

What was once an Army Reserve Center, became through a long and much debated process, affordable housing and a neighborhood park. The park and previously the army reserve center is named for Soldier Reginald Benjamin Desiderio, who was killed in the Korean War and was posthumously awarded the medal of honor. The reserve center was decommissioned in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and through a slightly circuitous route the site was transferred to the City of Pasadena and Habitat for Humanity.

The site was divided into two sections, the park and affordable housing. Nine families were chosen for the housing and were involved in the building of their homes. For such a small park and one that also has affordable housing, its creation sparked a lot of feelings and debate.

The first point of contention was whether it was practicable to reuse the 1940 era warehouses that were already on the site. While the buildings were beautiful, it was deemed not possible and they were demolished.

“For such a small park and one that also has affordable housing, its creation sparked a lot of feelings and debate.”

The second worry was the location. The park sits directly under the Colorado Street Bridge. This Bridge is sadly a spot often used for suicide attempts. In 2018 the city installed a 10 foot high fence along the bridge as a deterrent. In 2023 a contract to build a more permanent solution that was in keeping with the historic bridge was awarded to Apexx Architecture for the conceptual design of enhanced vertical barriers.

A view of Desiderio Neighborhood Park, with blooming buckwheats, California Poppies and Bush anemones. There is a street light in the middle of the image and a path in the background. — The Madrona Marsh is a rare vernal marsh and has some of the last vernal pools in Los Angeles County. (image taken in early June)

The third point of contention was whether the park should include bathrooms and where in the small park should they be located. The bathrooms were considered an “attractive nuisance” that would change the role of the park from a “passive park” to a space of active recreation and attract unwanted people.

In an interview with The Pasadena Star Councilman Steve Madison said “What we are doing with the passive recreation area is we are repatriating that to the Arroyo Seco. Before this was federal land it was part of the Arroyo Seco.I’ve always been a proponent of basically repatriating it or returning it to what it was originally, which is part of that Arroyo Seco, which is something for all of us to enjoy but not in the nature of a sort of active destination urban park, which is what a restroom would turn it into.”

Repatriating this small section of land back to the Arroyo Seco is a lovely idea. But if that truly was the goal for Desiderio Neighborhood Park, I would question the final landscaping choices. As beautiful as they are and as pumped as any one would be to see them, Bush Anemone and palo verde are simply not a part of the Arroyo Seco ecosystem.

Bush Anemone is from the eastern side of the Central Valley and Palo Verde is a desert plant (California’s deserts are not a part of the California Floristic Province). Both of these plants are found in profusion in the park.

Does this matter? It’s a good question. I would argue that it is disappointing to utilize non locally native plants (especially when there are so many amazing local plants available, just look at the South Pasadena Nature Park). It is even more disappointing when the narrative built around the park was that of returning it to its original state, and that this narrative was built as a cover to keep “unwanted people” out of the park.

This criticism aside, this is a delightful little park (complete with restrooms). Filled with poppies, affordable housing, possibly ghosts, oak trees, birds and the rare bush anemone.

Palo Verde in bloom in dappled shade. — The beautiful Ithuriels Spear with some super cool grasses and dudleyas. (image taken in early June)

White flowers of the Matilija poppy and a small oak tree in the foreground. he Colorado Street Bridge in the background. — A show stopping purple sage. (image taken in early June)

Western Sycamore with a park in the background.

More Information

Friends of Madrona Marsh

City of Torrance- Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center

Instagram – Madrona Marsh Preserve

2020 Native Plant Garden Tour

Friends of Madrona Marsh – Events

Friends of Madrona Marsh – Self guided tour

COASTAL CONSERVANCY- Madrona Marsh Vernal Pool Restoration

Pat Patterson’s Best of California – Torrance’s Madrona Marsh -Torrance citizens saved this oasis in the middle of the city!

KCAL News- Madrona Marsh in Torrance | Look at This!

City of Torrance – Madrona Marsh Preserve in the Spring

CNPS South Coast Chapter- Back Dune Plant list

Error: The map ID (51) does not exist

Opening Hours:
Tues. – Sat.
10AM-5PM

A concrete path lined with vintage syle street lights winds through a grove of young oak trees. — This giant Fremontedendron is sadly no more. These plants are so perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of the chaparral, that they can be trickier to grow in gentler conditions. (image taken in mid April)

California poppies in bloom on a hillside in dappled shade. — The coastal barrel cactus in the early stages of bloom. (image taken in early June)

Deep purple flowers of a foothill penstemon growing in dappled shade. — Mountain Mahogany gets covered in these cool little fluffy seed heads. (image taken in early June)

A backlit western sycamore tree. — This cool little yellow flowering plant is deerweed. It goes completely summer dormant and is the host plant for the marine blue butterfly. (image taken in early June)

California Poppies grow on a hillside in the dappled shade. — Golden bush is one of the plants that is able to not only stay evergreen but blooms in the late summer and fall. It is a beautiful resilient plant. (image taken in late July)

The dry stream bed that runs through the park planted with coyote bush and grasses. — The demonstration gardens have a massive planting of California buckwheats. (image taken in early June)

Sedges and grasses grow in a dry stream bed. — The demonstration gardens are especially good and showcasing how much diversity in color, shape and texture our native plants have. (image taken in early June)

Buckwheat flowers in the shade of a young oak tree. — More prickly pear flowers. (image taken in early June)

A California Poppy blooming under an oak tree. — A small meadow in the demonstration gardens with purple three awn and coastal poppies. (image taken in early June)

A honey bee visits a California Poppy in a field of flowers. — The demonstration gardens are especially good and showcasing how much diversity in color, shape and texture our native plants have. (image taken in early June)

Sedges grow in a seasonal creek bed. — More little coastal poppies in the preserve. (image taken in early June)

Bushes covered in white flowers in a sunny park. — It’s so wild that this is what the South Bay should be. The next time you hear someone refer to Los Angeles as a desert, tell them the south bay was a system of wetlands. (image taken in early June)

Branches of the Palo Verde tree covered in yellow flowers. — These little birds ( I think they are scaly breasted munias which are an introduced species from south asia) were all over this plant. (image taken in early June)

Two birds, on in a tree and the other in flight in a park. — There are more little birds in this ceanthous they just wouldn’t hold still long enough for me to get them in frame. (image taken in early June)

A thicket of riparian plants growing in a stream bed. — The design of this garden is always so surprising in its ability to make a small area feel like a part of a huge space. (image taken in late July)

Mule fat and Arroyo willow growing in a stream bed. — I think this is an ash-throated fly catcher. If so these are super cool birds. They come to southern california from breeding. They are a hard core dry area bird and don’t need to drink water, they get their moisture from spiders and bugs and stuff that they eat. (image taken in early June)

Buckwheat plants in the early stages of blooming back lit by the sun in a park. — This area, which is by the back door of the Nature Center, looks like it was cut perfectly out of a habitat and then plonked down here. It’s a perfect little vignette. (image taken in late July)

California buckwheat flowers next to a dry stream bed. — The plants along the wall of the nature center are a collection of weird leggy and spiny shapes. It’s a delightful effect against the smooth walls. (image taken in late July)

California poppies flowering the sun in a park. — There is something about deep shade in the heat of summer. It makes one think of all the horror stories that take place in the height of summer. (image taken in late July)

A view of the park, with dry stream bed, street lights and flowering plants. — There is something about deep shade in the heat of summer. It makes one think of all the horror stories that take place in the height of summer. (image taken in late July)

A detail image of the seed heads of the Arroyo willow tree. — Mountain mahogany makes a beautiful hedge plant. (image taken in early June)

Palo Verde blooms next to the dry stream bed lined with flowers in the Desiderio Neighborhood Park. The Colorado street bridge and the 134 freeway are visible above. — The colors of the Chaparral mallow are just perfect also they are hardy af. (image taken in early June)

A large mature oak tree grows near a dry stream bed in a sunny park. — Another prickly pear photo, but come on look at this dude, just stunning. (image taken in early June)

A detail mage of the leaves of a toyon bush in dappled shade. — A creeping California Sage brush and a cool little manzanita. (image taken in early June)

A bush anemone blooms in by a fence, backlit by the sun. — Purple three awn our state grass! (image taken in early June)

A large oak tree grows on a hillside covered in poppy flowers. The Colorado street bridge is in the background. — Some sort of everlasting, with a deer grass. (image taken in late July)

Plao Verde and California Poppies bloom in a sunny park. — The bush lupins at the Madrona Marsh are off the charts. This one is in full bloom. (image taken in mid April)

A honey bee comes in for landing on a California Poppy flower. — And this one is covered in cool little seed pods. (image taken in early June)

Madrona Marsh Preserve
and Nature Center

3201 Plaza del Amo,
Torrance, CA 90503

Visiting the Madrona Marsh demonstration gardens is like going on a tiny tour of Southern California ecosystems. (image taken in early June)

Prickly Pears are becoming a more popular landscaping plant. I mean look at them, just gorgeous. (image taken in early June)

Established:
2019

Size:
3.87 acres

Features:
Historic bridge
Bathrooms
Stream bed
Affordable housing
Playground

Notable Plants:
Arroyo willows (Salix lasiolepis)
Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica)
Mulefat (Baccharis salicifolia)
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida)
Coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis)
Deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens)

Best time to visit:
Spring and summer:
The park is in bloom from spring to summer. Poppies, palo verde, and the rare bush anemone are all covered in flowers from spring to summer and they are not to be missed. Evening, when the street lights come on would be a charming time to walk through the park.

The Madrona Marsh preserve and nature center sit on one of the few remnants of what was once a vast wetland system that stretched from Marina del Rey to Wilmington. Included in this area are the Ballona Wetlands and the Gardena Willows Preserve, which are also mentioned in this guide. Its 42 acres are home to a strange collection of micro habitats: vernal marshes, a seasonal marsh that in the dry season recedes into the aquifer, back dunes, these are dunes that are farther back from the water than the foredunes which are closer (great naming), coastal prairie and alkali margin, an area of higher salt content caused by fluctuations of water, and vernal pools.

The Nature Center , which is across the street from the Preserve, is surrounded by a half acre of beautiful mature demonstration gardens. They were started in 2001 by Tony Barker with the aim to promote more native gardens in the area.They are divided into habitat sections, back dune, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, riparian and desert. There are so many wonderful plants packed into this relatively small space making a visit a joyfully intense experience.

There are details everywhere. The large shrubs move gracefully to smaller, more delicate plants. There is always something to see and the garden is always changing. In Spring the bush lupins, mariposa lilies and coastal sunflowers are in bloom. Summer brings the fremontendrons, the buckwheats and mallows. The garden lets those plants that would go summer dormant, which adds a new intensity to space.

“The Nature Center , which is across the street from the Preserve, is surrounded by a half acre of beautiful mature demonstration gardens. They were started in 2001 by Tony Barker with the aim to promote more native gardens in the area.”

Little trails criss-cross through the garden and also define the now rather fuzzy borders of the different habitats. Despite its wild appearance the garden is meticulously cared for. I don’t think I have ever seen a weed and the garden hosts several species such as Ithuriel’s Spear and mariposa lilies which are specifically hard to care for.

The beautiful Ithuriels Spear with some super cool grasses and dudleyas. (image taken in early June)

A show stopping purple sage. (image taken in early June)

The preserve is entered through a gate with a gate attendant. If you are wondering if this is because visitors have been locked in the preserve before (the whole section is fenced in), I asked, the answer is yes. There are several walking trails in the preserve, one that runs the whole perimeter and others the criss-cross through it. It is here that you will find all the interesting micro habitats. Madrona Marsh is considered to be one of, if not the only, remaining vernal marshes and is the largest preserve of coastal prairie and the last remaining vernal pools, in Los Angeles County. The vernal marsh is temporary, only existing in the wet season, and then slipping underneath the sand into the aquifer in the dry season.

The development of Torrance and changes to the site altered the water flow into the marsh and the vernal pools. To compensate for this, water is now pumped in during the rainy season mimicking what would be the natural water cycle of the site. The nine vernal pools are also undergoing restoration and maintenance. The pools and the surrounding areas are dredged, mostly by hand, to redirect and collect water. Invasive plants are removed and native plants, most of which are propagated on site, are reestablished around the areas of the pools.

Two types of fairy shrimp can be found here, both of which are federally endangered.

In addition, the preserve is home to or periodically hosts over 100 special status species. Special status is a blank term that is used to describe species that are sufficiently rare as to require protection and or consideration. They are listed as rare, threatened or endangered by the Federal and or state government.

“In addition, the preserve is home to or periodically hosts over 100 special status species. Special status is a blank term that is used to describe species that are sufficiently rare as to require protection and or consideration. They are listed as rare, threatened or endangered by the Federal and or state government.”

The site has a fascinating geological history as well. It was part of the historic route west of the Los Angeles river until the rise of the Palos Verdes peninsula routed the river south to Long Beach. This created a natural inland depression. The site is covered with fine sand that has been deposited through the aeolian process, which is the erosion, transportation and deposition of sediment by wind.

This complex mix of rare ecosystems has been awarded a SEA designation, which stands for Significant Ecological Area, and is awarded to locations of irreplaceable biological resources that support valuable and threatened species and promote species movement through habitat linkages and corridors.

The Madrona Marsh is a rare vernal marsh and has some of the last vernal pools in Los Angeles County. (image taken in early June)

As the City of Torrance grew in the 1950’s and 1960’s the city found itself losing large tracts of open space.The solution was to convert sites that were otherwise set aside for oil drilling. Madrona Marsh was one such area. It had been left open for drilling since 1920 but had never had more than one platform on the site and, therefore, was both undeveloped and relatively undisturbed.

While mostly ignored by the general public, the site had already been recognized as having an ecological value. It was a popular birding destination and had been used in botany and zoological courses over the years. In 1972, a meeting was held to create support for the creation of a preserve and wildlife park. Not long after this meeting the Friends of Madrona Marsh was formed and they became the driving force behind the creation of the preserve.

The group battled away for years. They paid for a “Wildlife Habitat Study” to be conducted and for plans to be drawn up for a preserve and visitors center. They led talks, held public meetings and began restoring the land. In 1980 the Torrance Investment Company, (a partnership of Watt Homes, Anderson Properties, Sherl Curci and Santa Fe Energy, the landowners) withdrew an offer to sell 15 acres of the land to the Friends of Madrona Marsh and began to actively try to develop the land.

In one memorable City Council meeting the Torrance Investment Company suggested that the marsh “be moved” (because that’s a thing) two and a half miles north to Columbia Park. The story of the Preserve is written as a joint effort between the Friends of the Madrona Marsh and the City, however it is important to note that the City Council was siding with developers at this point.

“In one memorable City Council meeting the Torrance Investment Company suggested that the marsh “be moved” (because that’s a thing) two and a half miles north to Columbia Park.”

The City did eventually side with the Marsh and in 1987 42 acres were preserved for the creation of the Nature Center and Marsh Preserve. The Nature Center was built in 1990. The Metropolitan Water District funded the demonstration gardens and the Preserve is run with funding from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project.

The demonstration gardens are truly wonderful. There is so much depth and thought in their care and design. (image taken in early June)

The plants found at the Madrona Marsh thrive in the opposite extremes of flooding and dry summers, so cool. (image taken in early June)

More Information

Friends of Madrona Marsh

City of Torrance- Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center

Instagram – Madrona Marsh Preserve

2020 Native Plant Garden Tour

Friends of Madrona Marsh – Events

Friends of Madrona Marsh – Self guided tour

COASTAL CONSERVANCY- Madrona Marsh Vernal Pool Restoration

Pat Patterson’s Best of California – Torrance’s Madrona Marsh -Torrance citizens saved this oasis in the middle of the city!

KCAL News- Madrona Marsh in Torrance | Look at This!

City of Torrance – Madrona Marsh Preserve in the Spring

CNPS South Coast Chapter- Back Dune Plant list

Error: The map ID (51) does not exist

Opening Hours:
Tues. – Sat.
10AM-5PM

The coastal barrel cactus in the early stages of bloom. (image taken in early June)

Mountain Mahogany gets covered in these cool little fluffy seed heads. (image taken in early June)

This giant Fremontedendron is sadly no more. These plants are so perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of the chaparral, that they can be trickier to grow in gentler conditions. (image taken in mid April)

These little buddies have now been replanted, perfectly paired with a chaparral mallow. (image taken in early June)

Many of the plants that are used for restoration of the marsh are propagated on site. (image taken in early June)

The demonstration gardens have a massive planting of California buckwheats. (image taken in early June)

This cool little yellow flowering plant is deerweed. It goes completely summer dormant and is the host plant for the marine blue butterfly. (image taken in early June)

Golden bush is one of the plants that is able to not only stay evergreen but blooms in the late summer and fall. It is a beautiful resilient plant. (image taken in late July)

More prickly pear flowers. (image taken in early June)

A small meadow in the demonstration gardens with purple three awn and coastal poppies. (image taken in early June)

More little coastal poppies in the preserve. (image taken in early June)

This mounding form of chamise was just covered in blooms. (image taken in early June)

These little birds ( I think they are scaly breasted munias which are an introduced species from south asia) were all over this plant. (image taken in early June)

There are more little birds in this ceanthous they just wouldn’t hold still long enough for me to get them in frame. (image taken in early June)

The demonstration gardens are especially good and showcasing how much diversity in color, shape and texture our native plants have. (image taken in early June)

The design of this garden is always so surprising in its ability to make a small area feel like a part of a huge space. (image taken in late July)

I think this is an ash-throated fly catcher. If so these are super cool birds. They come to southern california from breeding. They are a hard core dry area bird and don’t need to drink water, they get their moisture from spiders and bugs and stuff that they eat. (image taken in early June)

It’s so wild that this is what the South Bay should be. The next time you hear someone refer to Los Angeles as a desert, tell them the south bay was a system of wetlands. (image taken in early June)

This area, which is by the back door of the Nature Center, looks like it was cut perfectly out of a habitat and then plonked down here. It’s a perfect little vignette. (image taken in late July)

The plants along the wall of the nature center are a collection of weird leggy and spiny shapes. It’s a delightful effect against the smooth walls. (image taken in late July)

Mountain mahogany makes a beautiful hedge plant. (image taken in early June)

The colors of the Chaparral mallow are just perfect also they are hardy af. (image taken in early June)

There is something about deep shade in the heat of summer. It makes one think of all the horror stories that take place in the height of summer. (image taken in late July)

Another prickly pear photo, but come on look at this dude, just stunning. (image taken in early June)

A creeping California Sage brush and a cool little manzanita. (image taken in early June)

As the California sunflowers start to wane the buckwheats come in full force. (image taken in early June)

The grasses really make this so beautiful. (image taken in early June)

Purple three awn our state grass! (image taken in early June)

Some sort of everlasting, with a deer grass. (image taken in late July)

The bush lupins at the Madrona Marsh are off the charts. This one is in full bloom. (image taken in mid April)

And this one is covered in cool little seed pods. (image taken in early June)

Another view that shows how the design and layering creates depth and the illusion of space. (image taken in early June)

Coastal California Poppies! This variation has lovely yellow edges with the bright orange center. (image taken in early June)

Bumble Bee populations, like this yellow faced bumble bee, are suffering a terrible decline. Planting native plants can be a huge help to restoring their habitat and numbers. (image taken in early June)

Western sycamore have the most beautiful shades of green in their foliage, this is why you see so many photos of them on this website. (image taken in early June)

Arroyo willows, like this one, are hosts to thirteen confirmed leopdoptera species, included the particularly beautiful Western tiger swallow tail, Lorquin’s Admiral and the Sylvan Hairstreak butterflies. (image taken in early June)

While common landscaping practices would have gardeners deadhead all these spent blooms, when left they create so much lovely texture and are an important source of food for birds. (image taken in early June)

I know that summer dormancy can be aesthetically challenging, but look at how the deep rust red of the buckwheat flowers sets off the blue grey of the dudleya. (image taken in late July)

Nevin’s barberry covered in pretty little berries. (image taken in early June)

A summer meadow. (image taken in late July)

Here is a slightly different angle of the Ithuriel’s Spear and the dudleyas. (image taken in early June)

Matliijia poppies growing in the preserve. (image taken in early June)

There is a stark difference between the vibrant ecosystem on the right and the sterile lawn on the left. (image taken in early June)

The Madrona Marsh preserve in the dry season. (image taken in early June)

Western Sycamore with branching Phacelia in the understory. (image taken in early June)

A wild rose in bloom. (image taken in early June)

Santa Cruz Island Ironwood in full bloom in the wind. (image taken in early June)

Invasive Harlequin bugs on a bladder pod. (image taken in early June)

The simple wall of the Nature Center highlights the strange structure of the plants. (image taken in late July)

California Fuschias are another of those helpful plants that bloom when most everything else is going dormant. (image taken in late July)

The entrance to the Madrona Marsh Preserve. (image taken in early June)

There were a ton of yellow faced bumble bees all over these Branching Phacelia (which is exciting to see considering their numbers are dwindling). (image taken in early June)

There are several varieties of Phacelia to be found in Southern California and really all of them are bangers. (image taken in early June)

Mulefat, purple sage, california buckwheat and saint catherines lace. (image taken in early June)

Little purple flowers of the ceanthous and a California sunflower. (image taken in early June)

The garden in mid summer. (image taken in late July)

Blue elderberries on the blue elderberry tree. (image taken in early June)

Such a beautiful space. (image taken in early June)

Madrona Marsh Preserve and
Nature Center

3201 Plaza del Amo,
Torrance, CA 90503

Established:
2001

Size:
42 acres

Features:
Walking Trails
Rare micro habitats
Nature center
with cool exhibits
Rare and hard to
care for plants
Fairy Shrimp!

Notable Plants:
Mariposa lily (Calochortus catalinae)
Bush lupin (Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons)
Chaparral mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus)
Fremontedendron (Fremontodendron californicum)
Santa Cruz Island ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius)
Mock heather (Ericameria ericoides)
Long stem buckwheat (Eriogonum elongatum)
Giant coreopsis (Leptosyne gigantea)

Best time to visit:
Winter, spring and early summer
Winter and early spring rains bring water back into the marsh. The preserve at its finest when it is filled with water and migratory birds. Early summer brings out new blooms and slightly drier conditions which makes touring the preserve easier. The demonstration gardens are always amazing.

The Madrona Marsh preserve and nature center sit on one of the few remnants of what was once a vast wetland system that stretched from Marina del Rey to Wilmington. Included in this area are the Ballona Wetlands and the Gardena Willows Preserve, which are also mentioned in this guide. Its 42 acres are home to a strange collection of micro habitats: vernal marshes, a seasonal marsh that in the dry season recedes into the aquifer, back dunes, these are dunes that are farther back from the water than the foredunes which are closer (great naming), coastal prairie and alkali margin, an area of higher salt content caused by fluctuations of water, and vernal pools. .

The Nature Center , which is across the street from the Preserve, is surrounded by a half acre of beautiful mature demonstration gardens. They were started in 2001 by Tony Barker with the aim to promote more native gardens in the area.They are divided into habitat sections, back dune, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, riparian and desert. There are so many wonderful plants packed into this relatively small space making a visit a joyfully intense experience.

There are details everywhere. The large shrubs move gracefully to smaller, more delicate plants. There is always something to see and the garden is always changing. In Spring the bush lupins, mariposa lilies and coastal sunflowers are in bloom. Summer brings the fremontendrons, the buckwheats and mallows. The garden lets those plants that would go summer dormant, which adds a new intensity to space.

“The Nature Center , which is across the street from the Preserve, is surrounded by a half acre of beautiful mature demonstration gardens. They were started in 2001 by Tony Barker with the aim to promote more native gardens in the area.”

Little trails criss-cross through the garden and also define the now rather fuzzy borders of the different habitats. Despite its wild appearance the garden is meticulously cared for. I don’t think I have ever seen a weed and the garden hosts several species such as Ithuriel’s Spear and mariposa lilies which are specifically hard to care for.

The preserve is entered through a gate with a gate attendant. If you are wondering if this is because visitors have been locked in the preserve before (the whole section is fenced in), I asked, the answer is yes. There are several walking trails in the preserve, one that runs the whole perimeter and others the criss-cross through it. It is here that you will find all the interesting micro habitats. Madrona Marsh is considered to be one of, if not the only, remaining vernal marshes and is the largest preserve of coastal prairie and the last remaining vernal pools, in Los Angeles County. The vernal marsh is temporary, only existing in the wet season, and then slipping underneath the sand into the aquifer in the dry season.

The development of Torrance and changes to the site altered the water flow into the marsh and the vernal pools. To compensate for this, water is now pumped in during the rainy season mimicking what would be the natural water cycle of the site. The nine vernal pools are also undergoing restoration and maintenance. The pools and the surrounding areas are dredged, mostly by hand, to redirect and collect water. Invasive plants are removed and native plants, most of which are propagated on site, are reestablished around the areas of the pools.

In addition, the preserve is home to or periodically hosts over 100 special status species. Special status is a blank term that is used to describe species that are sufficiently rare as to require protection and or consideration. They are listed as rare, threatened or endangered by the Federal and or state government.

“In addition, the preserve is home to or periodically hosts over 100 special status species. Special status is a blank term that is used to describe species that are sufficiently rare as to require protection and or consideration. They are listed as rare, threatened or endangered by the Federal and or state government.”

The site has a fascinating geological history as well. It was part of the historic route west of the Los Angeles river until the rise of the Palos Verdes peninsula routed the river south to Long Beach. This created a natural inland depression. The site is covered with fine sand that has been deposited through the aeolian process, which is the erosion, transportation and deposition of sediment by wind.

This complex mix of rare ecosystems has been awarded a SEA designation, which stands for Significant Ecological Area, and is awarded to locations of irreplaceable biological resources that support valuable and threatened species and promote species movement through habitat linkages and corridors.

As the City of Torrance grew in the 1950’s and 1960’s the city found itself losing large tracts of open space. The solution was to convert sites that were otherwise set aside for oil drilling. Madrona Marsh was one such area. It had been left open for drilling since 1920 but had never had more than one platform on the site and, therefore, was both undeveloped and relatively undisturbed.

While mostly ignored by the general public, the site had already been recognized as having an ecological value. It was a popular birding destination and had been used in botany and zoological courses over the years. In 1972, a meeting was held to create support for the creation of a preserve and wildlife park. Not long after this meeting the Friends of Madrona Marsh was formed and they became the driving force behind the creation of the preserve.

The group battled away for years. They paid for a “Wildlife Habitat Study” to be conducted and for plans to be drawn up for a preserve and visitors center. They led talks, held public meetings and began restoring the land. In 1980 the Torrance Investment Company, (a partnership of Watt Homes, Anderson Properties, Sherl Curci and Santa Fe Energy, the landowners) withdrew an offer to sell 15 acres of the land to the Friends of Madrona Marsh and began to actively try to develop the land.

The group battled away for years. They paid for a “Wildlife Habitat Study” to be conducted and for plans to be drawn up for a preserve and visitors center. They led talks, held public meetings and began restoring the land.

In 1980 the Torrance Investment Company, (a partnership of Watt Homes, Anderson Properties, Sherl Curci and Santa Fe Energy, the landowners) withdrew an offer to sell 15 acres of the land to the Friends of Madrona Marsh and began to actively try to develop the land.

In one memorable City Council meeting the Torrance Investment Company suggested that the marsh “be moved” (because that’s a thing) two and a half miles north to Columbia Park. The story of the Preserve is written as a joint effort between the Friends of the Madrona Marsh and the City, however it is important to note that the City Council was siding with developers at this point.

“In one memorable City Council meeting the Torrance Investment Company suggested that the marsh “be moved” (because that’s a thing) two and a half miles north to Columbia Park.”

The City did eventually side with the Marsh and in 1987 42 acres were preserved for the creation of the Nature Center and Marsh Preserve. The Nature Center was built in 1990. The Metropolitan Water District funded the demonstration gardens and the Preserve is run with funding from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project.