On February 27, 1999, volunteers from the California Native Plant Society, North Coast Chapter (CNPS-NCC) first planted a long, triangular section of the steep slope site north of the Arcata Community Center, 321 Community Park Way, Arcata.
The planting was a result of an agreement between the City of Arcata, represented by Parks Superintendent Dan Diemer and CNPS-NCC, represented by Pete Haggard. The City would provide the site and planting stock,and CNPS-NCC would provide volunteers for planting and maintenance.
Today, the City now has a beautiful, stable, natural area that requires no City water, fertilizer, or mowing and very little physical maintenance by City employees. CNPS-NCC has converted this weedy slope on poor, fill soil into an urban native plant garden and home for native wildlife. Both the City and CNPS-NCC have benefited through this cooperation and have provided the public with a permanent garden of natural beauty and increasing wildlife value.
Heavy pedestrian and bicyclist traffic of high school students, college students, and citizens patronizing the playing fields, the playground, the Community Center, and HealthSport make this garden an excellent location in which to demonstrate the worth of biodiverse landscapes in urban areas.
Plants
Trees and Shrubs
Arctostaphylos columbiana, Columbia manzanita
Arctostaphylos manzanita, common manzanita
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, bear-berry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi X columbiana
Berberis aquifolium, Oregon grape
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, blue blossom
Garrya elliptica, coast silktassel
Lonicera involucrata, twinberry
Mimulus aurantiacus, sticky monkeyflower
Morella (Myrica) californica, California wax myrtle
Pinus contorta, shore pine
Herbaceous Plants
Achillea millefolium, common yarrow
Angelica hendersonii, Henderson’s angelica
Aquilegia formosa, western crimson columbine
Euthamia occidentalis, western goldenrod
Fragaria chiloensis, beach strawberry
Fragaria vesca, woodland strawberry
Grindelia stricta, coastal gumweed
Iris douglasiana, Douglas’s iris
Lilium pardalinum, California Tiger Lily
Lupinus polyphyllus, many-leaved lupine
Lupinus rivularis, riverbank lupine
Solidago californica, California goldenrod
Symphyotrichum (Aster) chilense, California aster
Sisyrinchium sp., blue-eyed-grass
Trillium albidum, giant white wakerobin
Grasses
Calamagrostis nutkaensis, Pacific reed-grass
Deschampsia cespitosa, tufted hair grass
Ferns
Polypodium calirhiza, nested polypody
Polypodium scouleri, leather-leaved polypody
Insects
Native Bees
Agapostemon texanus, green sweat bee
Andrena sp., amining bee
Bombus vosnesenskii, yellow-faced bumble bee
Ceratina acantha, small carpenter bee
Coelioxys sp., a cuckoo leafcutting bee
Halictus sp., a sweat bee
Hylaeus sp., a colletid bee
Lasioglossum spp., sweat bees
Megachile perihirta, a leafcutter bee
Butterflies
Limenitis lorquini, Lorquinis admiral
Coenonympha tullia, ringlet
Colias eurytheme, Westernsulfur*
Junonia coenia, buckeye*
Danaus plexippus, monarch
Papilio rutulus, western tiger swallowtail
Papilio zelicaon, anise tiger swallowtail*
Phyciodes mylitta, mylittacrescent*
Phyciodes pulchella, field crescent*
Vanessa annabella, west coast lady*
Vanessa cardui, painted lady*
Vanessa virginiensis, American painted lady*
Skippers (3 spp.)
*= Breed on site
Animals
Amphibians and Reptiles
Rana aurora, Northern red-legged frog
Pseudacris regilla, Pacific tree frog
Thamnophis elegans, Western terrestrial gartersnake*
Elgaria coerulea, Northern alligator lizard*
Mammals Microtus sp., Vole* Thomomys bottae, Botta’s pocket gopher* Odocoileus virginianus, white-tailed deer
*= Breed on site