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Refuge by the Water
Where There is Water, We Find Life
The Arroyo is all about what happens at the water’s edge – one of the most biodiverse and ecologically important boundaries in California. A stroll through the Arroyo invites visitors to consider the life-giving properties of water across native plant habitats.
This Arroyo is home to more water features than any other section in the Garden. When the weather is hot and dry, it is an important refuge for aquatic and riparian plants. During the rainy season, visitors are encouraged to look for natural drainages running through this section, as water flows from the Meadow section above, through the Arroyo before it outlets into Mission Creek. In summer and fall, this is one of the best places in the Garden to listen for a chorus of frogs. Songbirds and other creatures are also drawn to its ponds to bathe and grab a drink of water.
Noteworthy Plants
Great yellow pond lily
Nuphar polysepala
A common species in wetlands in northern parts of the state, great yellow pond lily provides food and shelter to fish and insects.
Dogbane
Apocynum cannabinium
A useful milkweed relative found in sunny streambanks. Widely used to make cordage by indigenous tribes all over North America
Willow species
Salix exigua
Willows are among the most important native plants for people and wildlife worldwide. Another useful cordage plant, their bark also contains salicylic acid which is widely used painkiller you might know as aspirin.
California ash
Fraxinus dipetala
Found on the upper margins of streambanks, California ash trees are a vital component of riparian forests. This species is believed to host 36 different species butterflies and moths.
Elderberry
Sambucus mexicana
The unsung hero of riparian areas, elderberry flowers are a valuable source of summer nectar for bees, while the fruits are enjoyed by songbirds, chipmunks, and humans alike.
California rose
Rosa californica
Grows in formidable thickets that stabilize the banks of streams. California rose fruits, known as hips, are an important fall food source for omnivores such as black bears and coyotes.
Seasonality
Create Year-round Appeal
Seasonally flooded streams or washes are a common feature in Southern California. These habitats are filled with water during the rainy months as water washes down from the mountains and foothills. Then, everything dries out in the summer and fall months. These seasonal floods help create habitat for wildflowers, ferns, and other water-loving perennial species. Look for the most blooms in the upper Arroyo during the spring, and further down, where the ponds gather water, you can find something in bloom nearly all year round.
Evergreens like the Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) don’t have flowers, but their beautiful and delicate cones create an elegant setting for formal gardens.
Layered plantings create small niches for many types of plants near water features and lend the area a naturalistic feeling. (Photo: Sangeet Khalsa)
Deciduous plants like California wild grape (Vitis californica) can be planted in formal gardens for their spectacular fall color. (Photo: Denise Dewire)
Flowering elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) can be spotted around the Arroyo in the spring. (Photo: Elizabeth Collins)
The bright purple/bluish fruit of ederberry (Sambucus mexicana) begins to appear in the fall. (Photo: Denise Dewire)
Come Observe
Ceremonial Teahouse
Sitting within the Arroyo section is Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s ceremonial Shin Kan An Teahouse. This special feature highlights how California’s native plants can be used to create a traditional Japanese tea garden. The evergreen foliage and simple, yet sculptural forms of plants like manzanitas (Arctostaphylos sp.) are a perfect analog to Japanese plants.
Our ceremonial teahouse hosts tea observations throughout the year. For more information, visit the Garden calendar for future dates.