Tucked away in Lincoln Heights on S. Ave. 20 between the Interstate 5 and the Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology High School lies the Lincoln Heights California Native Plant Corridor (the Corridor). Once covered in weeds and trash in 2023, this eight-foot by 365-foot strip of land has undergone a remarkable transformation and as of January 2025, it blooms with vibrant native plants. More than just a landscape restoration project, the Corridor symbolizes resilience, hope, and the power of creative greening initiatives. Each community workday brings progress, proving that small efforts can yield significant environmental and social benefits, and it fosters the growth of plants and community connections, turning urban spaces into biodiverse sanctuaries.
Marie Massa, the fearless leader of the Corridor first reached out to the Audubon Center at Debs Park asking for plant donations.
Since then, her dedication and passion have brought this project to life and the Audubon Center at Debs Park has had a chance to help plant and tend to the space. We have also had the opportunity to ask Marie some questions about her project!
Q: Why did you want to create a native plant corridor? Why did you prefer California Native plants?
Marie: In 2022 when I was walking my son to school, I came across a stretch of parkway with planter boxes that had bush sunflower (Encelia californica) and California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) growing in them. Across the sidewalk from this strip of parkway was an abandoned piece of land that was abutting a wall supporting an onramp for the 5 freeway. I got to thinking that it would be wonderful to have a California native plant garden instead of a piece of land that collected trash and grew noxious, invasive weeds.
With a background in environmental sciences, botany, and horticulture, I specifically wanted to create a space that would showcase the beauty of locally native California plants and create habitat for pollinators, insects, birds, and small mammals like squirrels. I thought if local residents could see how wonderfully beautiful and low-water-consuming our native flora is, perhaps they might want to start incorporating these plants into their own yards and ultimately create more habitat in an urban environment.
Q: How did you pick your plant palette?
Marie: To select the plants for this project, I went to Calscape.org, entered the zip code 90031, and filtered by "Extremely Low Water" needs. This generated a list of plants that I made selections from and then put into a spreadsheet. I then asked my former boss and friend Carol Bornstein, former director of the LA Natural History Museum's Nature Gardens & one of the authors of California Native Plants for the Garden, for her advice and experience with these plants. She gave me some great input which led me to revise and refine my list to the final plants I ultimately used for the landscape design
Q: Is there something you had planted that has surprised you?
Marie: I originally thought that hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) was only found in shady or part sun locations, but using Carol's advice, I included this plant in the design and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this plant has performed in a full sun environment. The hummingbird sage plants in the Corridor look absolutely fantastic and they are constantly being visited by hummingbirds!
Another surprise was deerweed (Acmispon glaber). All of the deerweed plants grew spectacularly well and I have now found several seedlings of this plant that I was actually able to move and ultimately replace plants that people ripped out of the ground. Luckily this hasn't happened too often, but I have had people pull out plants and I have fortunately been able to replace these losses.
Q: Are there any specific insects or pollinators that you’d like to highlight?
Marie: I always see European honeybees visiting the flowers but one day I was incredibly lucky to see a native ground nesting bee actually digging out a burrow next to the base of a blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum) plant. I was so blown away by how strong this insect was and what an incredible digger she was. I had never seen anything like this and I was so happy that the Native Plant Corridor was actually creating habitat and that I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to see this happen. I certainly hope more native bees come to Corridor and that I can maybe start learning to identify which native bees are visiting this garden.
The Corridor has also become a valuable educational resource. In collaboration with the Audubon Center, it was integrated into a school program for the Alliance Susan and Eric Smidt Technology High School. Students observed the plants’ leaves, colors, and scents, gaining insights into how animals might use them. By the end of the lesson, students could name several plants and expressed interest in incorporating them into their school campus.
The Lincoln Heights California Native Plant Corridor stands as a vibrant example of restoration and renewal. Located in urban Los Angeles, it transforms neglected spaces into thriving habitats. The project showcases the power of community collaboration and the resilience of nature. Volunteers and organizers have created a space that blooms with life, fostering ecological balance and community pride.
We hope that you will take some time to visit this thriving project! Follow them on Instagram @ave20nativeplants where you can track their progress and also when their community volunteer workdays are!
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