Authentic Foothill Gardens
at the Sierra Madre City Hall

232 W Sierra Madre Blvd
Sierra Madre, CA 91024

Thickleaf yerba santa and coastal sunflower putting on a show! (image taken late April)
The silvery blue foliage of bladder pods brings out the beauty in the dormant California sagebrush (image taken in early August)

Established:
2015

Size:
9100 sq feet

Features:
Public Programing
Native Plant Nursery
Watershed Restoration
Local Propagation
Hiking Trails
You can see horses from the parking lot.

Best Time to visit:
All Year: 
The demonstration garden that surrounds the nursery is at its most spectacular in spring. The yerba santa, showy penstemons, coast sunflowers and bladder pods are overwhelming beautiful. The summer brings a different beauty to the gardens. The bladder pods, who bloom all year and have gorgeous blues foliage, start to contrast with the golden brown of the summer dormant plants. However, fall and winter may arguably be the best time to visit. Fall is the start of our planting seasons in the west, and is the ideal time to go buy some plants.

This little gem of a nursery was created by the Arroyo Secco Foundation to propagate plants for the restoration of the Devil’s Gate Dam area in 2014. It was opened to the public not long afterward. The small nursery, demonstration gardens, and public programing are mostly run by volunteers.

The area around the nursery site is planted with a joyful collection of native plants. The area that runs between the parking and the site is filled with the most gorgeous bladderpods that many of us will see. This hardy and striking plant has bluish foliage, yellow flowers (that last into summer) and these weird little seed bladders. The plants also have a striking smell that to quote calscape “it is highly fragrant, though opinion is divided on whether the scent is pleasant or unpleasant.”

The gardens also have stunning Yerba Santa, penstemons, coastal sunflowers and a big basin sage brush. Because the site is much closer to a yard size, it gives a better understanding to how the plants will function and look in more compact spaces.

In addition to plants the nursery has a small selection of books and gifts. During the summer it hosts a program called “Native Nights” which covers topics like soil health, water conservation as well as plants. Hahamongna nursery is more than just a nursery but also an education center.

The little bladders of the bladderpods are so lovely and strange. (image taken in early August)
Three great garden plants, bladderpods, black sage and California sagebrush. (image taken in late April)

Bearing the name of the Tongva tribe that lived in the Pasadena and Altadena area, the Hahamongna watershed marks the beginning of the Arroyo Seco. This beautiful riparian habitat is home to bobcats (not to brag but I totally saw a cub there once), grey foxes, mountain lions, the arroyo toad, the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo, and rainbow trout. Because the watershed connects to the San Gabriel Mountains and has a variety of habitats, including the increasingly rare alluvial forest, it contains an incredible amount of biodiversity.

Hahamongna Watershed and its park are one of the few remaining spreading basins in Southern California. If you have heard about the loss of ground water and the draining of aquifers, then this would be a solution. The spreading basin is engineered to catch water and then allow it to return to the ground water table. This is better for pretty much everyone, animals, plants and people, alike. This system mimics how many of our streams and the LA River would naturally function.

The Arroyo Secco was once a major tributary of the LA river. This was the path the rainbow trout would take to the ocean and back,

subsequently making that strange transformation to steelhead trout. This connection was severed with the construction of the Devil’s gate dam in 1920. There are still rainbow trout in the upper arroyo. They are of course threatened and are further threatened by fire and drought. The Arroyo Secco Foundation has a team they call “Trout Scouts” who find and count the fish at various times during the year.

The Hahamongna Watershed combination of mule and black willow makes it a critically important breeding habitat for birds. According to California Fish and Game, 55 species breed in the area. Two of these species, the Yellow Warbler and the Yellow-breasted Chat are listed as “California bird species of special concern” and the Least Bell’s Vireo, is listed as federally endangered.

The Hahamongna Watershed and the ongoing restoration represent a hopeful change in the way that we understand our water systems and our threatened riparian habitats.

A big basin sagebrush stand outs in late summer. (image taken in early August)

Authentic Foothill Gardens
at the Sierra Madre City Hall

232 W Sierra Madre Blvd
Sierra Madre, CA 91024

Thickleaf yerba santa and coastal sunflower putting on a show! (image taken late April)
The silvery blue foliage of bladder pods brings out the beauty in the dormant California sagebrush (image taken in early August)

Established:
2014

Size:
Not super big

Features:
Public Programing
Native Plant Nursery
Watershed Restoration
Local Propagation
Hiking Trails
You can see horses from the parking lot.

Best Time to visit:
All Year: 
The demonstration garden that surrounds the nursery is at its most spectacular in spring. The yerba santa, showy penstemons, coast sunflowers and bladder pods are overwhelming beautiful. The summer brings a different beauty to the gardens. The bladder pods, who bloom all year and have gorgeous blues foliage, start to contrast with the golden brown of the summer dormant plants. However, fall and winter may arguably be the best time to visit. Fall is the start of our planting seasons in the west, and is the ideal time to go buy some plants.

This little gem of a nursery was created by the Arroyo Secco Foundation to propagate plants for the restoration of the Devil’s Gate Dam area in 2014. It was opened to the public not long afterward. The small nursery, demonstration gardens, and public programing are mostly run by volunteers.

The area around the nursery site is planted with a joyful collection of native plants. The area that runs between the parking and the site is filled with the most gorgeous bladderpods that many of us will see. This hardy and striking plant has bluish foliage, yellow flowers (that last into summer) and these weird little seed bladders. The plants also have a striking smell that to quote calscape “it is highly fragrant, though opinion is divided on whether the scent is pleasant or unpleasant.”

The gardens also have stunning Yerba Santa, penstemons, coastal sunflowers and a big basin sage brush. Because the site is much closer to a yard size, it gives a better understanding to how the plants will function and look in more compact spaces.

In addition to plants the nursery has a small selection of books and gifts. During the summer it hosts a program called “Native Nights” which covers topics like soil health, water conservation as well as plants. Hahamongna nursery is more than just a nursery but also an education center.

The little bladders of the bladderpods are so lovely and strange. (image taken in early August)
Three great garden plants, bladderpods, black sage and California sagebrush. (image taken in late April)
Bearing the name of the Tongva tribe that lived in the Pasadena and Altadena area, the Hahamongna watershed marks the beginning of the Arroyo Seco. This beautiful riparian habitat is home to bobcats (not to brag but I totally saw a cub there once), grey foxes, mountain lions, the arroyo toad, the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo, and rainbow trout. Because the watershed connects to the San Gabriel Mountains and has a variety of habitats, including the increasingly rare alluvial forest, it contains an incredible amount of biodiversity.

Hahamongna Watershed and its park are one of the few remaining spreading basins in Southern California. If you have heard about the loss of ground water and the draining of aquifers, then this would be a solution. The spreading basin is engineered to catch water and then allow it to return to the ground water table. This is better for pretty much everyone, animals, plants and people, alike. This system mimics how many of our streams and the LA River would naturally function.

The Arroyo Secco was once a major tributary of the LA river. This was the path the rainbow trout would take to the ocean and back,

subsequently making that strange transformation to steelhead trout. This connection was severed with the construction of the Devil’s gate dam in 1920. There are still rainbow trout in the upper arroyo. They are of course threatened and are further threatened by fire and drought. The Arroyo Secco has a team they call “Trout Scouts” who find and count the fish at various times during the year.

The Hahamongna Watershed combination of mule and black willow makes it a critically important breeding habitat for birds. According to California Fish and Game, 55 species breed in the area. Two of these species, the Yellow Warbler and the Yellow-breasted Chat are listed as “California bird species of special concern” and the Least Bell’s Vireo, is listed as federally endangered.
The Hahamongna Watershed and the ongoing restoration represent a hopeful change in the way that we understand our water systems and our threatened riparian habitats.

A big basin sagebrush standouts in late summer. (image taken in early August)

Hahmongna Nursery

4550 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91103

Thickleaf yerba santa and coastal sunflower putting on a show! (image taken late April)

Established:
2014

Size:
Not
super big

Features:
Public Programing
Native Plant Nursery
Watershed Restoration
Local Propagation
Hiking Trails
You can see horses
from the parking lot.

Best Time to visit:
All Year: 
The demonstration garden that surrounds the nursery is at its most spectacular in spring. The yerba santa,, showy penstemons, coast sunflowers and bladder pods are overwhelming beautiful. The summer brings a different beauty to the gardens. The bladder pods, who bloom all year and have gorgeous blues foliage, start to contrast with the golden brown of the summer dormant plants. However, fall and winter may arguably be the best time to visit. Fall is the start of our planting seasons in the west, and is the ideal time to go buy some plants.

This little gem of a nursery was created by the Arroyo Secco Foundation to propagate plants for the restoration of the Devil’s Gate Dam area in 2014. It was opened to the public not long afterward. The small nursery, demonstration gardens, and public programing are mostly run by volunteers.

The area around the nursery site is planted with a joyful collection of native plants. The area that runs between the parking and the site is filled with the most gorgeous bladderpods that many of us will see. This hardy and striking plant has bluish foliage, yellow flowers (that last into summer) and these weird little seed bladders. The plants also have a striking smell that to quote calscape “it is highly fragrant, though opinion is divided on whether the scent is pleasant or unpleasant.”

The silvery blue foliage of bladder pods brings out the beauty in the dormant California sagebrush (image taken in early August)

The gardens also have stunning Yerba Santa, penstemons, coastal sunflowers and a big basin sage brush. Because the site is much closer to a yard size, it gives a better understanding to how the plants will function and look in more compact spaces.

In addition to plants the nursery has a small selection of books and gifts. During the summer it hosts a program called “Native Nights” which covers topics like soil health, water conservation as well as plants. Hahamongna nursery is more than just a nursery but also an education center.

The little bladders of the bladderpods are so lovely and strange. (image taken in early August)
Three great garden plants, bladderpods, black sage and California sagebrush. (image taken in late April)

Bearing the name of the Tongva tribe that lived in the Pasadena and Altadena area, the Hahamongna watershed marks the beginning of the Arroyo Seco. This beautiful riparian habitat is home to bobcats (not to brag but I totally saw a cub there once), grey foxes, mountain lions, the arroyo toad, the endangered Least Bell’s Vireo, and rainbow trout. Because the watershed connects to the San Gabriel Mountains and has a variety of habitats, including the increasingly rare alluvial forest, it contains an incredible amount of biodiversity.

Hahamongna Watershed and its park are one of the few remaining spreading basins in Southern California. If you have heard about the loss of ground water and the draining of aquifers, then this would be a solution. The spreading basin is engineered to catch water and then allow it to return to the ground water table. This is better for pretty much everyone, animals, plants and people, alike. This system mimics how many of our streams and the LA River would naturally function.

The Arroyo Secco was once a major tributary of the LA river. This was the path the rainbow trout would take to the ocean and back, subsequently making that strange transformation to steelhead trout. This connection was severed with the construction of the Devil’s gate dam in 1920. There are still rainbow trout in the upper arroyo. They are of course threatened and are further threatened by fire and drought.

A big basin sagebrush standouts in late summer. (image taken in early August)

The Arroyo Secco has a team they call “Trout Scouts” who find and count the fish at various times during the year.

The Hahamongna Watershed combination of mule and black willow makes it a critically important breeding habitat for birds. According to California Fish and Game, 55 species breed in the area. Two of these species, the Yellow Warbler and the Yellow-breasted Chat are listed as “California bird species of special concern” and the Least Bell’s Vireo, is listed as federally endangered.

The Hahamongna Watershed and the ongoing restoration represent a hopeful change in the way that we understand our water systems and our threatened riparian habitats.

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Opening Hours:
Saturday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

The charming sales yard of the nursery. (image taken in early August)
The space between the nursery and the parking lot is a great example of a low water, low maintenance space that looks great all year. (image taken in early August)
A lovely purple sage (image taken in early August)
Saltbush is a really cool, large shrub that is great for a hedge. (image taken in early August)
Thickleaf Yerba Santa is still beautiful when not in bloom. (image taken in early August)
Bladderpods keep their blooms deep into the summer. (image taken in early August)
The mature plants in the back of the garden are truly stunning! (image taken in late April)
Grow little oaks, grow! (image taken in early August)
Prickly pear cactus (image taken in early August)
This garden really plays with plants with cool toned foliage and plants that go summer dormant. It adds a beauty and contrast to an otherwise aesthetically challenging feature. (image taken in early August)
They really do thickleaf yerba santa justice here. (image taken in late April)
Late summer showy penstemon (image taken in early August)
Wowsers! Showy Penstemon in spring! (image taken in late April)
Hahamongna nursery packs in so many great plants into a small space. (image taken in early August)
We really couldn’t get over how beautiful the bladderpods are in here. (image taken in early August)
A rare Nevin’s barberry peaks out from behind a white sage. (image taken in early August)
The garden really celebrates the summer dormancy of our native plants. (image taken in early August)
It is amazing to think this is the same space. Our native ecology has so much seasonal change if you are willing to pay attention. (image taken in late April)
A gorgeous manzanita (We think this maybe a big berry manzanita). They are slow growing but so worth it. (image taken in early August)
Big Basin sagebrush is mostly a high desert plant, but according to Calscape they can be found on this side of the Sierra Nevadas as well. (image taken in early August)
I mean come on, look at how cool this plant is. How are bladderpods not in every garden. (image taken in early August)
Our guess is a black chinned hummingbird resting on some thickleaf Yerba Santa. (image taken in early August)
Laurel Sumac is another overlooked but wonderful landscape plant. Evergreen, it gets little white flowers and is fast growing. (image taken in early August)
Such a lovely little plant community. (image taken in early August)
Another view of the area between the nursery and the parking lot. This is a great option for a low maintenance low water planting. (image taken in early August)
The ever gorgeous thickleaf Yerba Santa. (image taken in late April) 
The ever gorgeous bladderpod. (image taken in early August)
Behind those trees is the Hahamongna Watershed and JPL. (image taken in early August)
A purple sage in its more subdued form in the summer. (image taken in early August)