The Harney Street Prairie Garden is a decades old city-scaled version of the historic northern Willamette Valley native prairie landscape that was common before the beginning of pioneer settlement two hundred years ago. Then, in a place now called Sellwood, shortgrass prairies bloomed blue and gold and oak savannahs grew on the nearby Oaks Bottom bluffs above the Willamette River. Today, large old Quercus garryana (Oregon white oak) can still be found throughout the neighborhood; and growing nearby are new kinds of prairie habitats.