| The LA County Natural History Museum recently | | | | role in the founding of Los Angeles. An important |
| concluded a comprehensive report on the plant and | | | | Gabrielino Indian village was located in the vicinity of a |
| animal life found in the vicinity of the Los Angeles | | | | very large sycamore, which was known as the council |
| River. The bulk of the plants and wildlife exist in the | | | | tree. The Spanish camp that later became the site of |
| area between the Flood Basin and Frogtown. The | | | | Los Angeles was situated near the Indian village. The |
| various natural sandy bottoms in this area have | | | | camp was destroyed in the Great Flood of 1815, but |
| facilitated the return of life, as a significant number of | | | | the sycamore survived. It later died in 1892 and was |
| trees, shrubs, and reeds get washed away during | | | | cut down. An examination ascertained that it was |
| winter floods. | | | | about 400 years old. |
| Way back in 1769, the plant life along the river was | | | | The cottonwood tree was very widespread along |
| studied by intrepid explorer Juan Crespi during the | | | | rivers in early California. As industrialization has reduced |
| Portola expedition. After coming to a location that was | | | | water levels, these riparian trees have vanished from |
| probably near Frogtown, he noted that his group had | | | | many riverbanks. Early explorers utilized the |
| entered a very large valley, overgrown with | | | | cottonwood?s riparian nature to help them in finding |
| cottonwoods and alders, among which ran a body of | | | | water. |
| water from the north-northwest, in reference to the | | | | Willow trees are another widespread riparian tree |
| Los Angeles River. | | | | native to the region. The willow leaves were utilized by |
| Members of the California Native Plant Society have | | | | California Indian tribes for medicine, while the small |
| been replanting many native plants in the river basin. A | | | | branches were used for basket making and the larger |
| portion devoted to flowers that attract hummingbirds | | | | branches for wood. |
| has also been placed in the area. | | | | The pollen of the cattail, Typha domingensis, was used |
| The following list contains some of the native plants | | | | by tribes for foodstuffs, while the roots were treated |
| that might be encountered along the river: | | | | to make a form of medicine, and the stalks were good |
| The sycamore tree, Platanus racemosa, actually had a | | | | for bedding and building material. |