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The Delbert McBride Ethnobotanical Garden

This native species garden at the Washington State Capital Museum in Olympia is named in honor of the late Delbert McBride, the museum's curator emeritus and an ethnobotanical expert of Cowlitz/Quinault descent. In many ways, Erna Gunther was Del McBride's mentor.

The garden was created to provide an understanding of the foods, medicines and other utilitarian functions derived from the native flora by American Indians in western Washington. The garden serves as an educational platform for discussion among environmental organizations, Native American communities, educational institutions, private landowners and the public. The garden also is a visual reminder of the need to preserve both the ecosystem and cultural heritage of the Northwest landscape.

The more than 30 species of plants were selected and planted on the grounds of the museum, the former Clarence Lord Mansion in Olympia. The museum, which is a unit of the Washington State Historical Society, is situated eight blocks south of the Washington State Capitol campus. The garden is open year-round, accessible to everyone, and has its best show of plants during the late spring and summer months.

This article appeared as a sidebar in the Winter 2002-2003 issue of COLUMBIA Magazine: Volume 16, No. 4.

Washington State Historical Society
1911 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402
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