JaxParks

Native Parks 1 & 2 were set aside as parks on the 1921 plat of the Avondale neighborhood in west Jacksonville. The Avondale Garden Circle began planting the park with native species in 1923 to increase public awareness of plants indigenous to north Florida. Native Park was formally dedicated in 1932 and demonstrated that while exotic species often died during adversity, the park’s native plants prospered with little care through drought, freeze, and hurricane. After some years of decline, the parks were rejuvenated by the work of Dr. Robert Ragland, who devoted many years after his retirement in the early 1980’s to planting native species and helping with maintenance. Since 2010, this park has been maintained by the Ixia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant society.