The entrance of New Roots Garden, located in El Cajon, is covered in colorful murals and a variety of plants, sharply contrasting the urban landscape it is surrounded by. The bright flowers, the smell of aromatic herbs and lush banana trees cover the 2.3 acres of land in the City Heights Neighborhood.
The garden is home to immigrants and refugees from over 12 different countries. While walking through the plots, there are pieces of conversations in Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Tagalog and more.
For many gardeners, the space offers more than fresh produce – it provides stability, community and a connection to home.
A gardener harvests mustard greens in New Roots Garden in San Diego on Nov. 18, 2025 (Tori Stoddard)
According to City Heights Development Corporation, “[refugees]… have settled here and have been able to flee the violence and poverty of their homelands and find peace and comfort in the garden.”
According to a resident from City Heights, the garden has helped families who fled violence and poverty to find comfort, food security and a sense of belonging in San Diego.
New Roots Garden also gives locals the opportunity to learn more about their neighbors’ lives and cultures.
Here, people can step away from a busy school schedule and find peace in the serene environment, surrounded by exotic trees, local wildlife and colorful florals.
“As soon as I walked through the gates of the garden, I was shocked to find so many different types of plants not native to San Diego. It felt like I had transformed to a different country,” said Allison Young, a junior at San Diego State University.
In 2010, New Roots Garden gained nationwide attention when the first lady at the time, Michelle Obama, visited the garden as part of her “Let’s Move!” campaign, which worked to fight childhood obesity.
She called the garden “a model for building healthy communities across the nation and around the world.”
Her visit also helped launch a $1 billion California Endowment initiative which supports healthy living programs in underserved communities, including City Heights.
Gardeners like Khadija Musame, an immigrant from Kenya, have continued growing on their plots for generations. Khadija grows collard greens, potatoes and cilantro, all which she uses to make recipes from her home. She also sells some of her produce at the City Heights Farmers Market.
Khadija Musame, an immigrant from Kenya, grows collard greens, potatoes and cilantro on her plot in New Roots Garden (Tori Stoddard)
New Roots gardeners also have the option to sell their produce at the City Heights Farmers Market, but many choose to sell to local super markets, such as Vien Dong Supermarket in El Cajon.
Shopping at these city markets is a way to support local gardeners in San Diego, as well as learning more about the communities that surround SDSU.
Each plot in New Roots Garden tells a story full of family, tradition and adaptation in a new country. This hidden sanctuary shows that even in the middle of an urban city landscape, communities, sustainability and nature can grow and thrive.
Customers reach for fresh sapote at City Heights Farmers Market in San Diego on Dec. 6, 2025 (Tori Stoddard)
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