Field Guide to a Pollinator Garden

In September 2022, the Mitchell Park Library team, with the help of Palo Alto Open Space staff and a crew of volunteers, added a pollinator garden. 

This garden, located on the second floor, features California native plants that support a wide variety of pollinators: bees, bats, hummingbirds, and more! 

Over the last few years, this flourishing garden has become an active biodiversity hotspot. As not only as a librarian but also as a naturalist and avid nature journaler, I'm excited to share this field guide to the plants featured in the garden. Next time you visit the library, head upstairs to our quiet area or our northeast terrace to take a peek at what's blooming! 

Deergrass is a versatile groundcover plant that requires little water. The seeds provide food for birds in summer.

California aster, in the daisy family, can be found in many plant communities. It supports many pollinators, including caterpillars, bees, and birds.

Bush Sunflower, also known as California brittlebush, is also a member of the daisy family. The large flowers attract bees and butterflies; the seeds provide food for birds.

Bush Monkey Flower, also called sticky monkey flower, attracts hummingbirds and bees with its brightly-colored blooms. Because there are so many blooms on a stem, this plant provides an impressive display!

Coast Buckwheat blooms with large clusters of flowers that almost don't look like flowers at all. Look very closely, and you can see tiny pink and purple petals. This plant is a food source for butterflies and moths and can provide seeds for birds as well.

Another member of the daisy family, Seaside Daisy provides flowers that attract butterflies and bees. It often grows, as its name implies, on bluffs and dunes overlooking the ocean.

Thanks to Calscape.org, provided by the California Native Plant Society, for plant and pollinator information. 

Learn more about California native plants with these great books! Check out a Parks Pass to seek out these plants in their native habitats. And if you'd like to make your own field guide, learn more about nature journaling as well.