Fauna & Flora,
Then and Now

From the early days of California, before it became the 31st State in the Union, a variety of fauna & flora have made it unique. Some have changed and others persist. In the Azulejos Tile art on the Raymond Gateway Tower plants and animals from differing eras coexist as a celebration of past and present. 

Two 15-foot tall citrus trees celebrate the San Gabriel Valley Fruit Growers Association, harkening back to the 1880s when orange groves were found in a patchwork quilt as far as eyes could see. Our two citrus trees are playfully displayed in oversized Jardiniéres flanking the front door. On the left, the scene features a Vaquero (the original Mexican cowboy) and one of his head of cattle from the days of Alta California, when they herded cattle and ran their vast ranchos, making their living in the tallow & hide trade. They pose in front of the most historic house in South Pasadena - the Adobe Flores, where a treaty of surrender was drafted ceding Los Angeles to the United States, as the Mexican-American War came to a close. On the other planter, two Hahamong'na Chiefs take a stand - one welcoming the Gaspar de Portola and the Spanish Explorers in 1769, while Toypurina, a Tongva/Gabrieliño Medicine Woman who led a revolt just 15 years later, crosses her arms in a warning against the changes her people are experiencing.

In modern times much of the culture and economy of the region has changed, including an influx on non-native birds - parrots, to be exact! Meanwhile some things never change - a domesticated dog spots a climbing cat who is trying to catch a parrot, as a squirell and a snail watch it all. Can you also see the bee?