Native American Garden
Villa Mira Monte Historical House and Museum

To honor and recognize the Amah Mutsun people, who have inhabited the Morgan Hill area for over ten thousand years, the Morgan Hill Historical Society established a Native American garden at Villa Mira Monte History Park. The garden features approximately 30 plants native to California and traditionally used by Indigenous peoples for food, medicine, basket weaving, dyes, hunting, fishing, and ceremonial purposes.

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Located adjacent to the Morgan Hill Museum, the garden enriches the experience of visitors and offers meaningful educational opportunities for students participating in the school field trip program. It serves as a dynamic, living example of how the land was used by Native Americans long before the arrival of Spanish and Mexican settlers.

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This project was originally initiated in 2020 by Kathy Chavez Napoli, a member of the Susanville tribe (Maidu), and Museum Director, Kathy Devine. The garden was recently revitalized and expanded by the Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2025.

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Enhance your garden visit by exploring the following resources:

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• Native American Plant Uses & Research Sources

• Native American Plant Use by Category

• Native Garden Planting List

• Garden Maps

• Native Garden Management Plan

• Language Lesson: “Can you say it in Mutsun?”​

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Past and present funding of the garden provided by:

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• EduGrow–Planting-to-Learn grant

• South Valley Fleurs Garden Club

• Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2025

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