Talk on designing a butterfly habitat garden using California native and other plants.

1. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2014 (our 10th year)
© Project SOUND
More Beautiful Butterflies:
food and habitat for our prettiest
pollinators
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
July 5 & 8, 2014
The garden at 112
Willow St.
 “Designing Your New CA
Garden’ series – Mother
Nature’s Backyard blog -
http://mother-natures-
backyard.blogspot.com/2013
/07/designing-your-new-
california-garden-1.html).
© Project SOUND
 July, 2013 – Aug/Sept, 2014
 Needed an example that was
typical of a small S. CA yard
The garden at 112 Willow St.
© Project SOUND

2. 7/5/2014
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The garden at
112 Willow St.
6 functional areas :
 Quiet/meditation
 Maintenance
 Vegetable Garden
 Native Grass Lawn
 Shady Seating
 Butterfly Garden
© Project SOUND
Recently been working on hardscape
© Project SOUND
But our task today is to design the
Butterfly Garden
© Project SOUND
Mowed native lawn
Butterfly Garden
Apple tree
Seating area
Porch/patio with roof
The photo that inspired our gardeners
© Project SOUND
http://anythingispossibletravel.com/almost-heaven/

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What do we like about it?
 Relaxed, natural appearance
 Small size
 Native plants
 Butterflies & other
pollinators visit
 Some color – but natural –
not like Disneyland
 Sunny
 Easy access
 Could have seating that
allowed enjoying it
© Project SOUND
Clearly someone really likes
being in this garden; ‘Life-friendly’
for humans and others
How does our Butterfly Garden stack up?
© Project SOUND
 Relaxed, natural appearance
 Small size
 Native plants
 Butterflies & other pollinators
visit
 Some color – but natural – not like
Disneyland
 Sunny
 Easy access
 Seating that allows enjoying it
 Life-friendly
We’ll need to carefully choose
our plants to maximize
Butterfly Garden
 Soil: clay loam
 Drainage: good (slight slope;
drier on top)
 Full sun
 Water Zone: 2 (tentative)
 Watered with soaker hose
 Other:
 Afternoon breeze
 Nice views behind (to south)
 5 ft wood fence behind
 Visible from house, porch,
‘shady seating area’, ‘lawn’
 Near ‘vegetable garden’
 Mulched (if appropriate)
© Project SOUND
UCR Botanic garden – Butterfly Garden
© Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
https://www.facebook.com/UCRBGfriends
UCR Botanic garden – Butterfly Garden Attributes of the Butterfly Garden
 Fits overall theme for garden: ‘food for all’
 Plants
 Provide food for butterfly adults, larva or both
 Suitable for clay-loam soil
 Tolerate full sun
 Tolerate modest slope
 Water Zone 2 or less
 Purple/blue and yellow flowers (if possible)
 Something in bloom early spring through fall
 Hardscape
 Soaker hose irrigation
 Chipped bark mulch (if appropriate for plants)
 Bird bath; drinking saucers for butterflies
© Project SOUND
Butterfly habitat garden: dimensions
© Project SOUND
46’
23’
8’
6’
Butterfly habitat garden: reality check
© Project SOUND
8’
6’ 4’
3’
Conclusion: butterfly garden is not
wide enough – will look bad

5. 7/5/2014
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Revised garden plan increases its size
© Project SOUND
8’
8’
46’
23’
Reality check: still not much space
© Project SOUND
8’
6’
4’2’
Plants will be closely spaced – the
Coastal Sage Scrub look
Space in the ‘Butterfly Garden’ - limited
(1) 8 ft diameter (large shrub)
(6) 6 ft diameter (Salvia size)
(6-7) 4 ft diameter (Buckwheat size)
(5-10+) 3 ft or less (perennial/fill)
Annual wildflowers
Grass lawn – for skippers
 We like the formal look of the
borders in the UCR Garden;
plants soften the edges
© Project SOUND
Add a border between garden and grass
© Project SOUND
B
8’
6’
2’ 4’
Border material (stone; man-made) will be
semi-formal and same warm gray as rest of
path materials

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© Project SOUND
Here’s what it looks like from the porch
© Project SOUND
Let’s add the largest plant first
Qualities of the small tree/large shrub
 8-9 ft wide, maximum
 Not too tall (8-10 ft) unless narrow
 Evergreen
 Somewhat neat appearance
 Attract the most butterflies (or
different from those attracted by
smaller plants)
 Added points for:
 Attractive flowers
 Flowering time
 Fruits
 Scents
© Project SOUND
Cercocarpus montanus
Best butterfly choices for tree/large shrub
 Lavatera assurgentiflora
 Populus spp.
 Prunus spp.
 Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
 Quercus spp.
 Quercus
berberidifolia/dumosa
 Rhamnus spp.
 Ribes spp.
 *Aesculus californica
 Alnus species
 *Amorpha californica
 *Arbutus menziesii
 Arctostaphylos (large
forms)
 Atriplex lentiformis ssp.
breweri
 Baccharis salicifolia
 *Ceanothus cuneatus var.
cuneatus
 Cercocarpus spp.
 *Chilopsis linearis
 *Frangula californica
© Project SOUND

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Best butterfly choices for tree/large shrub
 Lavatera assurgentiflora
 Populus spp.
 Prunus spp.
 Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
 Quercus spp.
 Quercus
berberidifolia/dumosa
 Rhamnus spp.
 Ribes spp.
 Salix spp.
 *Aesculus californica
 Alnus species
 *Amorpha californica
 *Arbutus menziesii
 Arctostaphylos (large
forms)
 Atriplex lentiformis ssp.
breweri
 Baccharis salicifolia
 *Ceanothus cuneatus var.
cuneatus
 Cercocarpus spp.
 *Chilopsis linearis
 *Frangula californica
© Project SOUND
What’s the CA state butterfly?
© Project SOUND
California Dogface - Zerene eurydice
 State insect since 1972. California was the
first state to choose a state insect.
 Its endemic range is limited CA from San
Diego County north to Sonoma County.
 The ‘dogface’ name comes from a wing
pattern resembling a dog’s face (some
think it looks like a poodle) which is found
on the male of the species.
 Its wings are an iridescent bluish-black,
orange and sulfur-yellow in color. The
female has a small black dot on each of its
yellow forewings.
 Rare/local – primarily in foothill chaparral,
woodlands
© Project SOUND
http://butterflyfarms.org/california-dogface/
female
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_dogface_butterfly
California Dogface - Zerene eurydice
 Larvae feed on Amorpha californica,
CA false indigo.
 Adults feed on flower nectar –
particularly fond of purple flowers.
 In the California chaparral and
woodlands habitats of the Santa Ana
Mountains, the adult California Dogface
butterflies can be seen nectaring at
thistles: natives (Cirsium occidentale)
and introduced invasive species.
 They are hard to get close to and hard
to photograph because they fly very
fast.
© Project SOUND
http://socalbutterflies.com/pieridae_html/calif_dog.htm

8. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
California false indigo – Amorpha californica
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/amorpha-californica
 Coastal ranges from N. CA to AZ, Baja
 Santa Monica Mtns, San Gabriel
mountains, Griffith Park
 Dry slopes in Yellow Pine Forest,
Chaparral, Mixed Evergreen Forest,
Northern Oak Woodland; stream banks
© Project SOUND
California false indigo – Amorpha californica var. californica
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3691,3713,3714,3715
©2011 Aaron Arthur
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/amorpha-californica
© Project SOUND
False indigo: large shrubby pea
 Size: (varies w/ light)
 5-8 ft tall
 5-8 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Woody shrub; semi-deciduous
 Rather irregular shape
 Foliage:
 Medium green
 Leaves compound, large (1 ft)
with simple leaflets
 Plant noticeably hairy
 Pleasant scent: guava, pineapple,
lavender maybe a little pine
 Larval food plant for CA State
butterfly, the California Dogface
(Zerene eurydice).
©2011 Aaron Arthur
©2010 Dee E. Warenycia
© Project SOUND
Flowers unique
 Blooms: in spring; usually April-June
 Flowers:
 On dramatic, wand-like stalks
 Purple-magenta fused sepals give
the color
 Anthers extend well beyond the
sepals
 Flower type typical for Amorpha
 Seeds: in one-seeded pod; plant fresh
seed or pre-chill 3 weeks prior to
planting
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/amorpha-californica
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Amorpha_cal
ifornica_californica.htm

9. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: most
 pH: any local [6.0-8.0]
 Light:
 Needs some shade; light shade
to quite shady
 Water:
 Winter: needs good winter rains
 Summer: best with some
summer water – Zone 2 probably
optimal for appearance
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: either difficult or easy –
needs the right spot. Easy to prune
or shape
©2004 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND
False indigo: shade
 Good choice in high or dappled shade
under trees; woodsy appearance
 To provide Dogface habitat
 Back of bed shrub – north-facing
 Large containers
 In a scented garden
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/plants/Fabaceae/Amorpha%20cali
fornica.htm
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Amorpha_californica_californica.htm
http://www.smmflowers.org/mobile/species/Amorpha_californica_californica.htm
The only possible
place is in the quiet/
meditation area
© Project SOUND
©2009 Thomas Stoughton
Best butterfly choices for tree/large shrub
 Lavatera assurgentiflora
 Populus spp.
 Prunus spp.
 Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
 Quercus spp.
 Quercus
berberidifolia/dumosa
 Rhamnus spp.
 Ribes spp.
 Salix spp.
 *Aesculus californica
 Alnus species
 *Amorpha californica
 *Arbutus menziesii
 Arctostaphylos (large
forms)
 Atriplex lentiformis ssp.
breweri
 Baccharis salicifolia
 *Ceanothus cuneatus var.
cuneatus
 Cercocarpus spp.
 *Chilopsis linearis
 *Frangula californica
© Project SOUND

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Can we eliminate any based on appearance?
© Project SOUND
Ceanothus cuneatus
Cercocarpus montanus
Frangula californica
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia
Rhamnus ilicifolia
Comparison of four possibilities
Plant Size Requirements Blooms Butterflies/etc.
Cercocarpus
montanus
6-12 ft tall
4-5 ft. wide
Tree-like
Sun/well-drained
Water Zone 1-2, 2
Insig /Sp
Hairstreaks
Bees
Frangula
californica
6-12 ft t/ w
smaller
cultivars
Shrub-like
FS/PS
Any soil
Water 1-2 to 2-3
Insig /Sp
Colored
fruits
Pale Swallowtail
Painted Lady
Gray Hairstreak
Bees
Fruit-eating birds
Prunus
ilicifolia ssp.
ilicifolia
10-25 ft t
10-20 ft w
Shrub-like
FS/PS
Any soil
Water 1-2 to 2-3
White/Su
Colored
fruits
Swallowtails
Bees
Humans
Rhamnus
ilicifolia
12 ft tall
5-6 ft w
Shrub-like
FS/PS/ FSH
Any soil
Water 1-2 to 2
Insig /Sp
Colored
fruits
Pale Swallowtail
Painted Lady
Gray Hairstreak
Bees /birds
© Project SOUND
© Project SOUND
Tentative choice – more next month
© 2005 James M. Andre
© Project SOUND
Add the large srub

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Space in the ‘Butterfly Garden’ -
(1) 8 ft diameter (large shrub)
(6) 6 ft diameter (Salvia size)
(6-7) 4 ft diameter (Buckwheat size)
(5-10+) 3 ft or less (perennial/fill)
Grass lawn – for skippers
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
We’ve got room for six 5-6 ft. shrubs
We’ll have to choose the very best native
butterfly plants
 Eriogonum (Buckwheats)
 Salvia (Sages)
 Asclepias (Milkweeds)
 Sunflower family
 Herbs/vegetables (non-native)
 Annual wildflowers
 Grasses
© Project SOUND
Choices for 5-6 ft butterfly shrubs (n=6)
 Eriogonum species
 Eriogonum giganteum
 Eriogonum fasciculatum
 Eriogonum fasciculatum
‘Dana Point’
 Mediterranean herbs
 Lavender
 Rosemary (bush type)
 Salvia species
 Salvia leucophylla
 Salvia mellifera
 Salvia clevelandii
 Salvia clevelandii x S.
leucophylla ‘Allen
Chickering’
© Project SOUND

12. 7/5/2014
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Let’s look at the Salvias first
© Project SOUND
Salvia leucophylla
Salvia clevelandii
Salvia clevelandii ‘Winifred Gilman’
Salvia ‘Allen Chickering’
Comparing the Salvia choices
Name Shape Flowers
Other
Butterfly
habitat
Salvia leucophylla
4’ tall 5-6’ wide;
spreading
Light purple ; earlier
Nice scent
Gray-green foliage
Excellent
adult
Salvia clevelandii 5’ x 5’; rounded
Blue-purple; summer
Nice scent
Green foliage
Excellent
adult
Salvia clevelandii
‘Winifred Gilman’
5’ x 5’; rounded
Intense blue-purple; Su
Lovely scent
Green foliage
? short-lived
Excellent
adult
Salvia ‘Allen
Chickering’
4-5’ x 4-6’;
spreading
Medium lavender; Sp/Su
Nice scent - different
Gray-green foliage
Excellent
adult
© Project SOUND
Comparing the others: buckwheats/herbs
© Project SOUND
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Eriogonum fasciculatum ‘Dana Point’
http://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-rosemary/
Rosemary
http://www.addorganicgardening.com/lavender-flower-benefits/
Lavender
What’s the deal about native buckwheats
(Eriogonum spp)?
 Almost all are good nectar/pollen sources for pollinators
 Bloom late when other food sources aren’t available.
 Eriogonum are used as food plants by larvae of some Lepidoptera
(butterflies and moths). Some feed only on native buckwheats:
 Apodemia mormo (Mormon metalmark) - feeds exclusively on
Eriogonum
 Apodemia mormo langei (Lange's metalmark) - only known from
Eriogonum nudum ssp. auriculatum
 Chionodes dammersi (moth) - feeds exclusively on Eriogonum
 Chionodes luteogeminatus (moth) - only known from Eriogonum
niveum
 Euphilotes enoptes smithi (Smith's blue butterfly) - only known
from Eriogonum latifolium and Eriogonum parvifolium
© Project SOUND

13. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
California Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum
© Project SOUND
 var. fasciculatum: Dry slopes and canyons near the coast, coastal sage
scrub – primarily Central CA coast
 var. foliolosum: Sandy to gravelly flats, slopes & canyons , mixed
grassland and chaparral communities, oak and conifer woodlands
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/nativeplants/gallery/ingram/index.php
var. fasciculatum
var. foliolosum
© Project SOUND
Characteristics of California Buckwheat
 Size: similar to Dune Buckwheat
 2-5 ft tall
 3-5 ft wide
 Growth form:
 low mounded semi-evergreen
shrub
 Many-branched ; dense
 Neat appearance
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html
 Foliage:
 Leaves alternate, but densely clustered
at nodes, evergreen, narrow lanceolate
(nearly needle-like when dry)
 Somewhat similar to Rosemary in
appearance
http://www.birdmom.net/wildflowerspink.html
© Project SOUND
CA Buckwheat: showy for months
 Great for summer color:
May-Nov. possible
 As an alternative to the non-
native Rosemary
 In perennial beds
 On parking strips & bordering
paths and driveways
 For erosion control
 Larval foodsource for Mormon
Metalmark, Bramble Hairstreak,
Common Hairstreak, Avalon
Hairstreak

14. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
CA Buckwheat cultivars make good
groundcovers
 ‘Dana Point’ - brighter green leaf,
more mounding than species. Gets
to be really large (6+ ft)
 'Bruce Dickinson' – good for
groundcover; stays close to the
ground, spreads nicely, and holds
good form throughout the year.
 ‘Theodore Payne' – low groundcover
(1 ft high; 1-3 ft spread)
 'Warriner Lytle' - A sprawling low
growing California buckwheat; can
grow to 2 feet tall but is often more
prostrate, hugging the ground like a
mat
‘Dana Point’
‘Warriner Lytle’
Name Shape Flowers
Other
Butterfly habitat
Eriogonum
fasciculatum
2-3 ft tall
3-5 ft wide
Pink – very pretty
Summer
Showy rust-color
seeds in fall
Adults (many)
Larva: Morman Metalmark,
Bramble Hairstreak, Common
Hairstreak, Avalon Hairstreak
Bees
Pollinators
Eriogonum
fasciculatum
‘Dana Point’
2-3 ft tall
5-6+ ft wide
Pink – very pretty
summer
Showy rust-color
seeds in fall
Adults (many)
Larva (see above)
Bees
Pollinators
Rosemary < 2 ft tall
spreading
White
Spring/summer
Fragrant cooking herb
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lavender
1-3 ft tall
1-4+ ft wide
Size depends
on cultivar
Lavender flowers
Summer
Lovely fragrance
Adults
Bees
Hummingbirds
© Project SOUND
Thyme
Adults
© Project SOUND
We’ve got room for six 5-6 ft. shrubs
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Lavender
Thyme
Considering foliage color
Green
 Rhamnus/Frangula
 Salvia clevelandii
 Ergiogonum fasciculatum
 Thyme
Silver/white/gray
 Salvia leucophylla
 ? Lavender (choose appropriate)
 ? Eriogonum cinereum (Ashyleaf
buckwheat)
© Project SOUND

15. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
Ashy-leaf Buckwheat – Eriogonum cinereum
Plants in the Sunflower family are also
good nectar and pollen sources
© Project SOUND
Early, mid- and late-season bloomers
We can’t have a Butterfly Garden without sunflowers
Width Early/Spring Summer Fall
5-6 ft Grindelia camporum Hazardia/Isocoma
4-5 ft
Encelia californica
*Perityle incana
Grindelia hirsutula
*Perityle incana
Solidago spp
*Viguiera parishii
Ericameria ericoides
*Ericameria nauseosa
Solidago spp
*Viguiera parishii
< 3 ft
filler
Lasthenia spp
Layia platyglossa
Achillea millefolium
Cirsium occidentale
Helianthus annuus
Heterotheca grandiflora
Malacothrix saxatilis
Pseudognaphalium
canescens
*Symphyotrichum chilense
Achillea millefolium
Pluchea odorata
*Symphyotrichum
chilense
© Project SOUND
Extra points for locally native species (in green) and adult/larval (bold)
© Project SOUND
California/Big Gum Plant
Grindelia camporum var. bracteosa

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Include in your garden because of..
 Attractive flowers Mar-Oct
 Balsamic aroma
 Tolerates any soil – well-
drained is best
 Drought tolerance
 Easy to grow
 Highly attractive for
 Bees
 Butterflies
 Other insects (beetles; other
unusual insects)
 Birds (seeds)
CA Gum Plant: big
 Erect herbaceous perennial to 4
ft tall by 5+ ft wide
 Grows in clay or sandy soil:
 Dry stream banks, washes
 Rocky fields & plains
 Sandy or alkali bottomlands
 Along road sides
 Grows where it gets full sun
 Is stress deciduous – loses
leaves during dry periods
© Project SOUND
Do we have room for Big gum plant?
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Eriogonum cinerium
Lavender
Thyme
Who can resist a sunflower?
© Project SOUND

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CA Bush Sunflower – Encelia californica
CA Encelia is a great habitat plant – and it
blooms early!
 Flower petals (ray flowers)
 Insects
 Beetles
 Butterfly larva: Monarch;
Metalmarks;
 Ground squirrels
 Nectar/pollen
 Bees
 Butterflies
 Seeds
 Birds (eat seeds)
 Goldfinches
 Sparrows
 Small mammals (mice)
 Spiders (eat insects)
 Green lynx spider
© Project SOUND
* San Diego Sunflower – Viguiera laciniata
http://image57.webshots.com/157/1/52/8/2588152080044943617JdrPNe_fs.jpg
© Project SOUND
*Viguiera parishii – a desert species
 Full sun
 Very well-drained soils
 Low water (Zone 1-2)
http://www.delange.org/Viguiera/Viguiera.htm
http://www.delange.org/Viguiera/Viguiera.htm
http://www.azhikinggallery.com/galleryintro.asp?galleryid=spurcrossranch_042107

18. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
*Parish’s goldeneye – Viguiera (Bahiopsis) parishii
 Mojave and Sonoran Deserts
of CA, NV, AZ, northwestern
Mexico
 Dry mesas, washes & rocky
slopes to 3500 ft.
 Areas that get a little bit of
extra water
© Project SOUND
*Parish’s goldeneye – Viguiera parishii
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Bahiopsis+parishii
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=82217
©2010 Lee Dittmann
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/viguiera-deltoidea-parishii
© Project SOUND
Parish’s goldeneye – rather Encelia-like
 Size:
 2-4 ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Half-woody (sub-shrub)
 Overall shape mounded; many
branches
 Fast-growing
 Foliage:
 Gray green; stiff hairs
 Triangular shape; fairly small
(typical of desert shrubs)
 Spicy sunflower fragrance
 May be winter deciduous
 Larval food for California Patch
(Chlosyne californica)©2010 Thomas Stoughton
© Project SOUND
Sunflower heads with yellow disk flowers
 Blooms:
 After rains from Feb-June
 After summer monsoon (or
water) from Sept-Oct
 Flowers:
 In typical sunflower heads – 2
inches across
 Disk flowers (center) are
primarily yellow
 Pretty as only sunflowers can be
 Seeds:
 Small and hairy; birds love them
©2010 Thomas Stoughton

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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: well drained- sand to clay
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun to very light shade
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: is drought tolerant
(Water Zone 1-2 or 2) but best if
given some water in August
(monsoon)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other:
 Cut back hard (to 6-8 inches; like
CA Encelia) in winter dormant
period
 Inorganic or light organic mulch
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bahiopsis_parishii_3.jpg
© Project SOUND
Gardening with Parish’s goldeneye
 As an attractive pot plant
 Sunny slopes, rock gardens, desert-themed
gardens
 For habitat value (attracts many pollinators),
fragrance and pretty flowers in mixed beds
 Good on banks for erosion control
©2010 Neal Kramer
http://www.abdnha.org/pages/03flora/family/asteraceae/viguiera_parishii.htm
© Project SOUND
We’ve still got room for 4-5 ft. shrubs
Encelia californica; Viguiera parishii
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Eriogonum cinerium
Lavender
Thyme
Plenty of green foliage color…
Green
 Rhamnus/Frangula
 Salvia clevelandii
 Ergiogonum fasciculatum
 Thyme
 Encelia californica
 Viguiera parishii
Silver/white/gray
 Salvia leucophylla
 ? Lavender (choose appropriate)
 Eriogonum cinerium (Ashyleaf
buckwheat)
© Project SOUND

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Nevin’s Wooly Sunflower/Catalina Silverlace
Constancea (Eriophyllum) nevinii
© Project SOUND
* Guadalupe Island Rock Daisy – Perityle incana
© Project SOUND
* Guadalupe Island Rock Daisy – Perityle incana
 Endemic to Guadalupe Island, Baja CA
 Southernmost extent of California
Floristic Province; similar to the
Channel Islands of California
 At least 35 species endemic to island;
practically denuded by feral goats.
http://www.sdsharkdiving.com/images/GuadRte.jpg
http://www.people.carleton.edu/~mcass/Pangea/GIsland.JPG
© Project SOUND
The genus Perityle – the Rock Daisies
 In Asteraceae (Sunflower family);
native to western North America.
 Commonly known as Rock daisies
 Highly variable genus, including
small herbs to spreading shrubs
 Most have yellow or white ‘daisy’
flower heads.
 The fruit is generally a flat seed
with thickened margins which may
or may not have a pappus or scales.
 Perityle emoryi – annual
 Other Perityles (Ca shrubby) from
Desert Mountains (chiefly the
White, Inyo Mountains)
Perityle emoryi
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/rockdaisy.html

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© Project SOUND
Somewhat similar to
Catalina Silverlace
 Size:
 2-3 ft tall
 3-5+ ft wide
 Growth form:
 Half-woody (sub-shrub); woody
base
 Mounded to irregular shape
 Moderate growth rate
 Foliage:
 Silvery green (less white than
Catalina Silverlace); hairy
 Leaves incised; open appearance –
very attractive
 Frost tender
Catalina Silverlace
© Project SOUND
Flowers provide a life-friendly treat
 Blooms: spring into summer; April
to July, intermittently
 Flowers:
 Small; in ‘heads’ somewhat like
Mule Fat (minimal/no ray
flowers)
 Inflorescence above the
foliage – very attractive
 Lovely gold-yellow color
 Attract many insects:
pollinators, butterflies
 Seeds:
 Eaten by song birds
© Project SOUND
Drought tolerant
 Soils:
 Texture: best in sandy/rocky, but
does fine in clay
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun coast; some afternoon
shade in hot inland gardens
 Water:
 Winter: adequate; supplement if
needed
 Summer: occasional water – likes
‘summer monsoon’ in Aug. (will
bloom after ‘rain’)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: Cut back to 4-6 inches above
wood after peak bloom for best
shape
http://www.sdnhm.org/research/guadalupe/p-perityle.html
© Project SOUND
Many ways to use
 As a shrub in mixed beds with
Salvias, Eriogonum, Encelia
 Nice against a dark wall or shrubs
 Good habitat plant
 Useful as groundcover, fill
 Even works in a container
http://plantexplorer.longwoodgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_DispPl?NAME
NUM=15062&DETAIL=1
http://www.nativegardeningla.com/shrubs/perityle.html

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© Project SOUND
Consider foliage/flower contrast
?? Where to place the Perityle incana
Encelia californica; Viguiera parishii
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Eriogonum cinerium
Lavender
Thyme
We need some more fall bloomers
© Project SOUND
http://camissonia.blogspot.com/2010/09/treks-on-santa-rosa-plateau-august.html
We’ve got several choices among the Sunflowers
Width Early/Spring Summer Fall
5-6 ft
Grindelia camporum Hazardia/Isocoma
4-5 ft
Encelia californica
*Perityle incana
*Perityle incana
Solidago spp
*Viguiera parishii
Ericameria ericoides
*Ericameria nauseosa
Solidago spp
< 3 ft
filler
Lasthenia spp
Layia platyglossa
Achillea millefolium
Cirsium occidentale
Grindelia hirsutula
Helianthus annuus
Heterotheca grandiflora
Malacothrix saxatilis
Pseudognaphalium
canescens
*Symphyotrichum chilense
Achillea millefolium
Pluchea odorata
*Symphyotrichum
chilense
© Project SOUND
Extra points for locally native species (in green) and adult/larval (bold)
© Project SOUND
* Rubber Rabbitbush – Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa
(Chrysothamnus nauseosus)
© 2003 Michael Charters

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© Project SOUND
 Occurs in deserts & shrublands in much
of the west
 In CA, in foothills from 3,000-8,000 ft
 Favors sunny, open sites including
disturbed areas in chaparral, desert
foothills
 Has been cultivated since 1886
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysothamnus_nauseosus
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo
%20Pages/chrysothamnus%20nauseosus.htm
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Chrysothamnus+nauseosus
* Rubber Rabbitbush – Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa
(Chrysothamnus nauseosus)
© Project SOUND
Rabbitbush is a bush Sunflower
 Size:
 2-5 ft tall (usual); some
populations up to 10 ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Most commonly a mounded sub-
shrub
 Many long branches from a woody
base
 Foliage:
 Narrow, aromatic leaves
 May be medium green or more
blue-green
 Overall has a feathery appearance
 Roots: deep taproot with laterals© 2005 Christopher L. Christie
© Project SOUND
 Blooms: early fall - usually
Aug-Sept. in western L.A. Co.
 Flowers:
 Small & golden yellow
 In dense clusters – either
flat or more pyramidal
 Extremely showy
 Attract tons of weird &
wonderful insects
 Seeds:
 Fluffy appendages like
Goldenbush/Mock Heather
 Wind disbursed
 Must germinate that fall –
do not persist in seed bank
© 2003 Michael Charters
http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/chrysothamnus%20nauseosus.htm
Flowers are like Goldenbush
© Project SOUND
Easy to grow, reliable  Soils:
 Texture: just about any
 pH: just about any, incl. alkali
 Light: full sun
 Water:
 Winter: needs good winter/
spring rains; supplement in
dry years
 Summer: looks best with
occasional water – Zones 1-2
or 2 are fine.
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils.
But light fertilizer probably
wouldn’t hurt it.
 Other: prune back heavily after
flowering – late fall

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© Project SOUND
Garden uses for Rabbitbush
 In a habitat garden – a real
winner
 For fall color
 As a tough plant for
commercial plantings,
parking strips, etc.
 As an informal hedge
 Good choice for erosion
control
 As a smaller substitute for
the Goldenbushes
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/chrysothamnus-nauseosus
http://bugguide.net/node/view/40653/bgimage
© Project SOUND
We’re out of room for shrubs
Ericameria nauseosa; Perityle incana
Encelia californica; Viguiera parishii
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Eriogonum cinerium
Lavender
Thyme
Need some ‘fillers’ that increase habitat value
Adult food (nectar)
 Sunflowers
 Cirsium occidentale
 Grindelia hirsutula
 Helianthus annuus
 Heterotheca grandiflora
 Malacothrix saxatilis
 Solidago species
 *Symphyotrichum
chilense
 Buckwheats
 Several annual species
Larval food
 Sunflowers
 Cirsium occidentale (Painted Lady)
 Pseudognaphalium canescens
(Ladies)
 Mallows
 *Sphaeralcea ambigua
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Cliff Aster – Malacothrix saxatilis

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© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow – Sphaeralcea ambigua
© Project SOUND
Flowers remind one of
Hollyhocks
 Blooms:
 Spring is usual bloom season
(Mar-May), following rains
 May bloom off and on
throughout year in garden
 Flowers:
 Showy mallow blooms along
the stems
 Color- usually ‘apricot’
(another name is Apricot
Mallow), but differs with
variety
 Nectar & pollen attract
butterflies, hummingbirds,
any other insects
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/430082786_0b30a88eee.jpg?v=0
© Project SOUND
Desert Mallow is
versatile in the garden
 Lovely addition to mixed beds –
place appropriate for size
 Excellent for water-wise
garden, particularly in
sandy/rocky soils; most
drought-tolerant Sphaeralcea
 Good choice for containers
 Great on dry slopes, hot
gardens; not for very foggy
areas
 Larval food for Checkered
Skipper, Common Hairstreak
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/sphaeralcea-ambigua
http://www.bridgerlandaudubon.org/wildaboututah/090407xeri-garden.htm
© Project SOUND
Cultivar ‘Louis Hamilton’
Nice habitat plant –
and accent color
for spring/summer
http://www.calflora.net/losangelesarboretum/whatsbloomingmar07E.html

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© Project SOUND
Can we fit in any more?
Malacothrix saxatilis; Sphaeralcea ambigua
Ericameria nauseosa; Perityle incana
Encelia californica; Viguiera parishii
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Eriogonum cinerium
Lavender
Thyme
Smaller perennial ‘fillers’ for habitat value
Adult food (nectar)
 Annual wildflowers
 Tidytips
 Goldfields
 Globe gilia
 Cirsium occidentale (thistle)
 Sub-shrubs/perennials
 Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)
 Asclepias spp (Milkweeds)
 Eriogonum grande var.
rubescens
 Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
 Garden herbs/vegetables
 Garlic Chives
Larval food
 Annual wildflowers
 Lupinus succulentus (Painted Lady,
West Coast Lady, Common Sulfur)
 Cirsium occidentale (Painted Lady)
 Sub-shrubs/perennials
 Asclepias spp. (Monarch; Queen)
 Garden herbs/vegetables
 Parsley (Anise Swallowtail)
 Borage (Painted Lady)
© Project SOUND
Narrow-leaf Milkweed - Asclepias fascicularis
© Project SOUND
Island Buckwheat – Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

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© Project SOUND
Island Buckwheat – Eriogonum grande
 Channel Island endemic:
 var. grande (Island Buckwheat)
 Channel Islands; Santa Cruz,
Anacapa, Santa Catalina, San
Clemente Islands
 Bluffs and cliffs, coastal sage scrub
and chaparral
 var. rubescens (Red Buckwheat; San
Miguel Island Buckwheat )
 n Channel Islands; San Miguel, Santa
Cruz, and Santa Rosa islands
 Cliffs and bluffs, coastal grassland
and scrub communities
 AKA: Eriogonum grande ssp.
rubescens; Eriogonum grande var.
dunklei; Eriogonum latifolium var.
rubescens; Eriogonum rubescens
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5936,5994,6063,6
064
var. rubescens
var. grande
© Project SOUND
Special features of Red Buckwheat
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 2-4 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Low-growing, dense mounded form
 Spreads slowly
 Relatively short-lived – 3-5 years –
but re-seeds
 Foliage:
 Neat, spoon-shaped leaves in
rosettes; medium-large for
buckwheat
 Attractive bright to gray-green
with wooly white backs
© Project SOUND
Red buckwheat: one of the showiest!
 Blooms:
 Primarily in summer
 Any time from May to Aug – depends
a bit on moisture
 Flowers:
 On stalks 2-3 ft tall
 Color range from medium to dark
pink; one of showiest CA natives
 All the insects love it – good pollen
and nectar source!!!
 Seeds:
 Attracts seed-eating birds
 Re-seeds well; naturalizes
 Hybridizes with other buckwheats
 Vegetative reproduction: mound slowly
increases in size © Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: best in well-drained
soils; fine in dryish clay
 pH: any local including alkali
 Light:
 Full sun near coast
 May appreciate afternoon
shade in hot gardens
 Water:
 Winter: needs normal amount
 Summer: little needed – Water
Zone 1-2 probably best; can kill
with too much in clay
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: thin organic mulch, if any
http://santacruz.nrs.ucsb.edu/natural-resources/endemic-vascular-
plants/red-buckwheat

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© Project SOUND
Garden uses for Red
Buckwheat
 As an unusual accent plant
 Super as a pot plant
 Lovely massed; ground cover
 Makes a pretty smaller border
plant
 For a ‘silver’ (moonlight) garden
 In a habitat/pollinator garden
 In narrow beds & planters
 Pair with dudleyas, salvias,
yarrow, Catalina Silverlace,
larger buckwheats
© Project SOUND
Management of smaller perennial
Buckwheats
 In general, need very little
care, as long as they are
given proper soils and
watering
 Prune lightly in fall to
stimulate next season’s
growth, but avoid cutting
deep into woody material
© Project SOUND
*Dunn’s Lobelia – Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/397.htm
© Project SOUND
*Dunn’s Lobelia – Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
 CA endemic; also in N. Baja
 Found in Coastal and
Transverse ranges; locally in
Santa Monica and San Gabriel
Mountains
 Found in mossy seeps, cliffs
and rocky stream banks
 Moist canyons below 4500 ft,
coastal sage scrub, chaparral
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Lobelia+dunnii+var.+serrata

29. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
Characteristics of Dunn’s (Blue) Lobelia
 Size:
 to 1 ft tall
 2+ ft wide; spreading
 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial
 Winter dormant; usually dies
back entirely
 Stems semi-woody;
reclining
 Foliage:
 Light green
 Small leaves
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/dunnslobelia.html
© Project SOUND
Flowers are fantastic
 Blooms: summer; usually July-Aug.
in S. Bay; may last into Sept.
 Flowers:
 Lobelia-shaped
 Bright blue to lavender-blue
 1 inch size
 On upright spike; open
sequentially
 Long-blooming – at least 1
month with some water
 Seeds: many little seeds; self-sows if
happy
 Vegetative reproduction: can be
divided
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/397.htm
© Project SOUND
Dunn’s Lobelia needs moist conditions for
optimal bloom…  Soils:
 Texture: any; prefers soil heavy in
organics (leaf mulch)
 pH: 6.0-8.0
 Light:
 Full sun only in coolest gardens
 Best flowering (and flower color) in
partial or filtered shade. Fine under
trees
 Water:
 Winter: tolerates winter flooding
 Summer: like a moist soil; Zone 2-3 to
3, although quite drought tolerant
 Fertilizer: use a leaf mulch
 Other: quite problem-free© 1999 John Game
© Project SOUND
Garden uses for Blue Lobelia
 In the butterfly garden –
nectar is irresistible for many
butterflies
 Nice addition to bog garden,
pond edge - even in shallow
water ; Lovely with Juncus,
Mimulus, Goldenrods
 Late season color for gardens,
hanging baskets, patio pots,
window boxes, planters
 Shady-moist ground cover;
fine textured
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/397.htm

30. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/lobelia-dunnii-serrata
We’ll have to put the
Dunn’s Lobelia in the
moist shade under the
apple tree
© Project SOUND
Our shrubs & perennials are in place
Eriogonum grande var. rubescens; annuals
Malacothrix saxatilis; Sphaeralcea ambigua
Ericameria nauseosa; Perityle incana
Encelia californica; Viguiera parishii
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Eriogonum cinerium
Lavender
Thyme
Smaller ‘fillers’ that increase habitat value
Adult food (nectar)
 Annual wildflowers
 Tidytips
 Goldfields
 Phacelia spp
 Globe gilia
 Sub-shrubs/perennials
 Achillea millefolium
 Asclepias spp (Milkweeds)
 Eriogonum grande var.
rubescens
 Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
 Garden herbs/vegetables
 Garlic Chives
Larval food
 Annual wildflowers
 Lupinus succulentus (Painted Lady,
West Coast Lady, Common Sulfur)
 Cirsium occidentale (Painted Lady)
 Sub-shrubs/perennials
 Asclepias spp. (Monarch; Queen)
 Garden herbs/vegetables
 Parsley (Anise Swallowtail)
 Borage (Painted Lady)
© Project SOUND
Annual wildflowers
© Project SOUND
Tidy-tips
Goldfields
Globe gilia
Arroyo lupine

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© Project SOUND
White Everlasting – Pseudognaphalium canescens
© Project SOUND
White Everlasting is great
for an ‘Evening Garden’
 Most people include this
species as a butterfly plant –
larval food for American Lady
 Excellent choice for an
‘Evening Garden’ – looks nice
during the day but very
striking in low-light situations
 Makes an attractive pot plant;
place where you can watch the
butterflies
American Lady larva
http://www.theodorepayne.org/plants/
plants_for_butterflies.htm
© Project SOUND
Cobwebby Thistle – Cirsium occidentale
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2006/01/cirsium_occidentale_var_occidentale.php
© Project SOUND
Garden uses for Cobwebby Thistle
 As an attractive pot plant
 In the annual wildflower garden, mixed beds
 In the vegetable garden; stem may be eaten
raw or cooked
 Great addition to the wildlife garden:
butterflies, bees, birds, hummingbirds, and
more!
Remember: plant where the
spiny leaves won’t be a hazard

32. 7/5/2014
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© Project SOUND
Whew! I think we’re almost there
Eriogonum grande var. rubescens; annuals
Malacothrix saxatilis; Sphaeralcea ambigua
Ericameria nauseosa; Perityle incana
Encelia californica; Viguiera parishii
Salvias: S. leucophylla (2); S. clevelandii (3)
Eriogonum fasciculatum (?1)
Eriogonum cinerium
Lavender
Thyme
2014: Bringing Nature Home - Lessons
from Gardening Traditions Worldwide
© Project SOUND
Final nectar plant list: impressive
Spring Summer Fall
Trees/Large
shrub
Amorpha californica
Rhamnus illicifolia
Smaller shrub
(4-6 ft)
Encelia californica
Perityle incana
Salvia leucophylla
Eriogonum cinereum
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Perityle incana
Salvia clevelandii
Viguiera parishii
Eriogonum cinereum
Ericameria nauseosa
Viguiera parishii
Other (fillers)
Annual wildflowers
Garlic Chives
Gilia capitata
Sphaeralcia ambigua
Asclepias fascicularis
Cirsium occidentalis
Eriogonum grande rubescens
Gilia capitata
Lavender
Lobelia dunnii var. serrata
Malacothrix saxatilis
Thyme
Sphaeralcia ambigua
© Project SOUND
We’ve provided larval food for ~ 20 species
 Pale Swallowtail (Rhamnus illicifolia)
 Anise Swallowtail (Parsley)
 California Dogface (Amorpha californica)
 Cabbage White (vegetable garden)
 Common Checkered White (vegetable garden)
 Gray Hairstreak (Amorpha spp.; Eriogonums ; Lupinus)
 Marine Blue (Amorpha spp.; Eriogonum spp.; Lupinus)
 Acmon Blue (Eriogonum spp.; Lupinus)
 Mormon & Dusky Metalmarks (Encelia california; Eriogonum
fasciculatum)
 Painted & American Ladies (Cirsium occidentalis; Lupinus
succulentus ; Pseudognaphalium spp.)
 West Coast Lady (Lupinus succulentus; Borage)
 Monarch & Queen (Asclepias spp.)
 Skippers (grass) © Project SOUND

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© Project SOUND
https://www.facebook.com/UCRBGfriends
UCR Botanic garden – Butterfly Garden
We’ve met our goals
 Relaxed, natural appearance
 Small size
 Native plants
 Butterflies & other pollinators
visit
 Some color – but natural – not like
Disneyland
 Sunny
 Easy access
 Seating that makes it easy to
enjoy the plants/pollinators
 A Life-friendly garden
© Project SOUND
Next month we’ll convert a yard into
‘Hummingbird Heaven’
© Project SOUND