Burbank’s native plants were thriving mainly untouched by mankind, perfectly adapted to
the region's dry weather conditions. Nothing to threaten their existence until the invention of
stronger transportation bringing in the hundreds of future residents. Uprooting those native
plants to make way for their industrial era, mass production of homes, concrete and asphalt
paths for them to travel, and ultimately making way for their needs.
The Heartleaf Penstemon, Coast live oak, Manzanita, California Buckwheat, Toyon, and
the 779 others all got ripped up or pushed to the outskirts of the city to make room for the new.
Once all the buildings were set and the desire for greenery arised, outside plants were imported
because they brought a different kind of aesthetic to match this brand new concrete city. Plants
that were not suited for the climate but were perfectly suited for the residents' own desire. Green
luscious lawns; which are soaking up all the city’s water so that the owner can show their
wealth, rows upon rows of palm trees to show the idea of a thriving city, and exotic flowers to
show us that the city is just as beautiful as others by using the other city’s flowers and ignoring
its own. Though the true Burbank native life still has found a way to exist on the outskirts of the
city where it can remain untouched. Where its own beauty has a chance to thrive, and hopefully
after incentives like cash for grass from the city, Burbank will start to be filled with its native
plants blooming everywhere.
The local flora AR tour is meant to guide one through the changes in what is considered
Burbank's local flora. Showing the imported plants that covers the city's concrete landscape,
while also looking back at how the city used to thrive. Going to the Stough Canyon Nature
Center to get a glimpse of land that has gone mainly untouched, covered in the original plants
that used to inhabit all of Burbank. Finally having the tour come to an end at the Theodore
Payne Foundation, which is a plant nursery that specializes in all native plants, to allow the
viewer a chance to bring native plants into their life and property.
