Medicinal Knowledge of Native Americans on Display in Playa Vista

Conceived to honor the contributions to modern medicine of Native American tribes, the Dr. David Swimmer Medicinal Plant Garden is in full bloom at the Ballona Discovery Park in Playa Vista. The park is located east of Lincoln Blvd. on Bluff Creek Drive, just adjacent to Playa Vista Elementary School. Street parking is available directly in front of the park.

The garden is dedicated to Dr. David Swimmer, a physician in Santa Barbara, who was a pioneer in the use of native medicinal plants in his medical clinic. The Swimmer Family Trust funded the garden construction, and it is maintained by the Discovery Park Partners: Friends of Ballona Wetlands, Loyola Marymount University and Playa Vista.

The plants displayed at the Swimmer Garden are representative of the hundreds of plants used by local Native American tribes for medicinal purposes. These plants were discovered and identified over thousands of years of experimentation and were deemed by tribal healers to be effective in treating various ailments. The main tribes considered here are the Tongva, in the Los Angeles area, the Chumash along the coast, and the Cahuilla in the desert areas. Many of the plants on display at the garden are still used by tribal members to treat numerous ailments.

Visit the Swimmer Garden at Ballona Discovery Park, a very kid-friendly place with a variety of educational displays about the Ballona Wetlands and surrounds.

Enjoy your Ballona Wetlands!

ballonafriends.org