Welcome to the Deerhill
Park Native Plant Demonstration Garden
This native plant demonstration garden features the Braunton's
milk-vetch (Astragalus Brauntonii), which is an
endangered plant native to California and the Oak Park area.
In January 1997, the plant was identified as endangered and
listed in the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). After
Braunton's milk-vetch was listed in the ESA, a conservation plan
was developed to help ensure the preservation of the plant in the
Oak Park area.
The conservation plan was coordinated by the County of Ventura
Resource Management Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, the
California Department of Fish and Game and the Rancho Simi
Recreation and Park District, in cooperation with the California
Native Plant Society.
Braunton's milk-vetch is a perennial plant with a three to five
year lifespan. The plant may grow to be five feet tall, has small
leaves covered with soft gray hairs, and produces clusters of small
purple flowers in the summertime.
It's seeds have the ability to remain dormant in the ground for
many years until the ground is disturbed, allowing the seed to
sprout. The types of disturbances that encourage germination
include fire, grading, landslide, or other ground-altering events.
Once the ground has been disturbed, seed germination follows the
spring rains.
The garden also includes plants that are typically found in the
same plant communities where Braunton's milk-vetch grow, or are
known to support Braunton's milk-vetch pollinators.
How many of these plants can
you find? -
Prostrate chamise (I'm not sure about this picture)
California Buckwheat
Deerweed
Arroyo lupine
Sugarbush
Coast sunflower
Black sage
California lilac
Laurel sumac
Chaparral mallow
Did you find them all?