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Native Landscape at the National Museum of the American Indian

The grounds surrounding the National Museum of the American Indian are considered an extension of the building and a vital part of the museum as a whole. By recalling the natural landscape environment that existed prior to European contact, the museum’s landscape design embodies a theme that runs central to the museum, that of returning to a Native place.

More than 33,000 plants of approximately 150 species can be found throughout the landscape. Not only are they native to the Piedmont, they are also ethnobotanical, and can be used for food, fiber, dye, medicine, ceremonies, building materials. The grounds encompass four habitats: upland hardwood forest, wetland, cropland, and meadow. Native wildflowers grow under oaks, pines, and magnolias, while paw-paws and birch trees surround the water-lilies and cattails of the wetlands. Native American crop rotation and traditional methods such as the Three Sisters Garden of corn, beans and squash are combined with organic practices using natural predators like ladybugs to maintain a sustainable garden on the south side of the museum. Grasses, coneflowers and goldenrod fill the meadow.

Location

Independence Ave. SW & 4th St. SW, Washington, D.C. 20560

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