Plants of Ramona Bowl

I always look forward to my annual trek to Southern California, to meet up with my folks from Alaska for family fun, adventure, and beauty in the desert. We frequently stop at the Ramona Bowl in Hemet, California to stretch our legs, and enjoy the view of rock formations, valley, and mountains. Ramona Bowl is also significant because Ramona Pageant—the outdoor play based on the book Ramona, by Helen Hunt Jackson—has been presented at the Bowl annually since 1923.



View of the mountains from Ramona Bowl

Over the last several years Ramona Bowl board member Bob Fifield, the Valley Beautiful organization, and a group of volunteers have replaced plants, trees, and ancient sprinkler systems with Mediterranean and native plants and a drip irrigation system. Bob Pratte, columnist for The Press Enterprise, reported on the project in 2014.

Native and Mediterranean plants at Ramona Bowl

According to Pratt’s article, many of the plants were chosen as representative of what might have been found in Southern California during the late 1800s, the time period for Ramona. Examples include trailing lantana, bush morning glory, Jerusalem sage, penstemon, salvia, and cistus. I also like to see the native spring flowers sprinkled among the distinctive boulders surrounding the Bowl.

California Poppies