Markham Nature Park & Arboretum

Specialties

Markham Nature Park and Arboretum is a beautiful 17 acre swath of trees, meadows and gardens filled with plants from the rare regions of the world with climates like ours. The park also includes a nursery that is open for plant sales on Tuesdays from 9 noon and on select weekend days.

The park is supported (and this listing is owned by) the Markham Regional Arboretum Society. We work closely with and serve at the pleasure of the city, but we are not a city-​owned entity. We are an all-​volunteer non-​profit organization whose purpose is to raise funds to improve the park as well as have fun learning about plants through our work in the nursery.

The park offers:

International Garden

The International Garden is divided into smaller gardens around its perimeter, where living exhibits of trees and shrubs from all over the world can be seen.

Established gardens are South Africa, Australia/​New Zealand, Asia, South America, California and the Southwest, and Eastern United States. People from the entire region can learn from the wide variety of plants that can be grown in our own backyards.

Tree Walk

A self-​guided tour, assisted by our professionally prepared map, of more than 35 trees that exemplify what the park contains. Many of these trees are drought tolerant and thrive in Northern California.

Bud Hansen Gazebo

This lovely gazebo, along with chairs, can be rented through the City of Concord by calling 925−671−3466.

History

Established in 1981.

The Markham Regional Arboretum Society began in 1981 with a small group of Concord citizens who loved gardens. Their goal was to turn seventeen acres of land, a portion of which had been sold to the City of Concord by Ira and Bee Markham in 1966, into a beautiful arboretum.

They wanted to fulfill the Markham’s dream of leaving a legacy of natural beauty for all the people of the region to enjoy. It was a vision of a place full of unique and interesting trees, shrubs, and plants from all around the world that thrive in our inland – yet marine-​influenced climate: hot days and cool nights in the summer, with cold, frosty nights in winter time.

Today Markham Nature Park and Arboretum is a place of quiet beauty less than 20 blocks from downtown Concord. With its main entrance at the south end of La Vista Avenue, much of it is still in its natural state, with vegetation only slightly tamed. Shade-​dappled Galindo Creek flows through it.