Hahamongna Nursery

Bearing the name of the Tongva tribe that lived in the Pasadena and Altadena area and of the watershed area where the nursery is located, the Hahamongna watershed marks the beginning of the Arroyo Seco. This beautiful riparian habitat is home to bobcats, grey foxes, mountain lions, the arroyo toad, the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo and the arroyo trout. Because the watershed connects to the San Gabriel Mountains and has a variety of habitats, including the increasingly rare alluvian forest, it is a source of incredible biodiversity. Hahamongna Nursery was started as part of the restoration of the Arroyo Seco to help provide plants for the restoration using seeds collected from the watershed. Locally collected seeds help protect the biodiversity of the plant species and propagating them on-site gives the plants the best chance for survival. The nursery is mostly run by volunteers. Currently the Hahamongna Nursery is growing 7,000 plants for the restoration of the area behind the Devil’s Gate Dam to be planted this fall. The Hahamongna watershed and the Arroyo Seco is under constant threat of further water divergence, dredging, being paved for a parking lot and other industrial activities.
The site of the nursery has a beautiful demonstration garden filled with bladder pods, sages and coast sunflowers. In the back section of the garden there is a large great basin sagebrush, which, normally a desert plant, is exciting to see in person. The nursery is small but is a huge voice for the Hahamongna watershed and the Arroyo Seco and a beautiful place to visit. To get to the nursery enter the Hahamongna Watershed Park at Oak Grove Drive and follow the signs down into the park. The nursery shares a space with several equestrian facilities so please drive slowly.