This lecture was given in February, 2010 as part of the California native plant gardening series ‘Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden’. This lecture discusses how to provide habitat for native reptiles and ground dwelling/feeding birds.

1. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND

2. Hospitable Habitat
Providing for Ground-living
Creatures
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
February 7th & 10th, 2010
© Project SOUND

3. What makes for good lizard habitat?
© Project SOUND

4. First, you need to know a little bit about
the lizards you can hope to attract
 Southern Alligator
Lizard
 Western Fence Lizard
 California Legless
Lizard
The trick is to supply a safe environment that provides
what they need to thrive – in short a habitat
© Project SOUND

5. Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata webbii
© Project SOUND

6. Alligator Lizard is well-named
 Large, smooth scales
 Long alligator-like snout
 Longitudinal fold on each
side of the body
© Project SOUND

7. Take on color of
their surroundings
 Size:
 Up to seven inch body
 May have a tail nearly twice
the length of its body, making
http://www.wildherps.com/species/E.multicarinata.html the largest individuals 21
inches from end to end.
 A regenerated tail is shorter
and usually a different color
from the rest of its body.
 Coloration:
 Varies from brown to yellow
ochre.
 Adults are marked with dark
crossbands, while juveniles are
not.
 Newly molted individuals can
be very brightly colored
© Project SOUND

8. © 2004 Pierre Fidenci
 Alligator Lizards, especially the males, have large, triangular-
shaped heads, giving them a formidable appearance. The large
head and long, snake-like body make a chance encounter in the
woodpile, or under a shrub, startling, to say the least.
 They can bite – but they don’t really want to
© Project SOUND

9.  The Southern Alligator Lizard's
range extends from WA to
central Baja California. In
southern California
 Alligator lizards are found in
almost any natural habitat in
California (except most of the
deserts and very high
elevations.) but most frequently
throughout the coastal plains
 Active during daylight, they are
frequently seen moving on the
ground, and occasionally up in
bushes. They are also often
found underneath debris, beach
driftwood, and near human
settlements.
 Alligator lizards do not typically
bask in the sun out in the open
or on top of a rock like many
other lizard species. They seem
to prefer sunny spots with some
cover nearby.
© Project SOUND

10.  The Southern Alligator Lizard is often
seen in yards and gardens, sometimes
out in the open or in the garage, but
usually under piles of wood, rock, or
other debris. Don't be surprised to
find them on your porch or patio – or
garage.
 Their diet includes various insects,
small animals such as young mice and
birds, tree frogs, and even other
lizards. Eats a variety of small
invertebrates. Will also eat small
lizards and small mammals. Feed mainly
on arthropods, snails, and occasionally
eggs
 After the May mating season, up to 20
eggs can be laid in June or July. The
incubation period is about 55 days,
after which the hatching yields tiny
individuals, rarely more than three
inches long from nose to tail.
© Project SOUND

11. Guidelines for creating habitat for ground-dwellers
 Provide dense shrub/grass cover –perching, cover &
nest sites
 Provide a brush pile/logs for cover
© Project SOUND

12. Atriplex (Saltbush) species provide
excellent habitat
© Project SOUND

13. Saltbushes : Habitat plants par excellance!
 Foliage
 Attract beneficial insects to the garden
- lacewings, ladybugs, and hoverflies
 Many weird and fun insects – good
plants for insect-watching
 Attract butterflies (larval food for
some sootywing skippers)
 Fall/winter/spring browse for deer, elk
 Dense cover for birds, rabbits, just
about any ground-dweller
 Seeds
 Very nutritious food source – high in
protein
 Eaten by many creatures (including
humans): don’t fertilize if you plant to
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/atrlen/plant.jpg
eat them – takes up & stores many
metals © Project SOUND

14. Coast Quailbush - Atriplex lentiformis (ssp. breweri)
© Project SOUND

15. * Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
http://www.perennialfavoritesnursery.com/native_a-f.html
© Project SOUND

16. * Four-wing Saltbush – Atriplex canescens
 A plant of western U.S.
 Dry places from N. Dakota to
Mexico
 Usually in deserts or dry
shrublands/steppe, short-grass
prairie
 In CA, in dry foothills, deserts
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242100016
(Great Basin, Mojave & Sonoran)
 Locally in dry foothills of the
San Gabriel’s – interior Coastal
Sage Scrub (Antelope Valley;
Sunland)
 Mojave Desert (Lancaster);
 Wide range soils, temperature,
etc. – very tough & adaptable
 Several varieties
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3084,3089,3095 © Project SOUND

17. This is a plant you’ve no doubt seen….
© 2004 Steven Perkins
© Project SOUND

18. Four-wing Saltbush: manageable sized shrub
 Size:
 3-6 ft tall; usually 4-5
 4-8 ft wide; can be pruned
 Growth form: extremely variable
 Mounded woody shrub; old wood
very tough
 Very densely branched
 Quite long-lived – 50+ years
 Foliage:
 Gray-green; silvery with
extruded salt; drought deciduous
 Branches gray to white
 Leaves small, leathery
 Roots: long (to 40 ft) taproot +
shallow laterals; very drought tol. –
resents moving after established
© Project SOUND
http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/saltbush.html

19. Flowers are understated…
 Blooms: usually summer to late fall;
may be as early as Apr. or as late as
Nov.
 Flowers:
 Dioecious (separate male &
female plants) but sometimes
monoecious
 Flowers remind of Artemisia;
small flowers on stalks
 Seeds:
 If planting, be sure to keep dry
seeds for 1 yr. ‘ripening’ to
improve germination
 Vegetative reproduction:
sprouting from younger wood
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html Project SOUND
©
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens

20. Seedpods, however,
are showy
 Dry pods remain on plants
until stripped off by wind
or eaten by animals – very
nutritious
 Pods have ‘4 wings’ –
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/other-plants/plant06.html
hence the common name
 Very unusual & can be
showy in good years
 1 large hard seed per pod
 Role of fungi in
germination process
© Project SOUND
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg
http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages2/gilaflora/a_canescens3.jpg

21. An easy care plant  Soils:
 Texture: well-drained; sandy
soils are best
 pH: any local including alkali
(pH 8.0-9.5)
 Tolerates salty soils, water
 Light:
 Full sun to some shade
 Water:
 Winter: usually rain will suffice
– don’t over-water
 Summer: best in Zone 2 in
gardens (occasional water) –
needs to be under some water
stress
http://sep.csumb.edu/class/ESSP303/2008/plants.htm  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils –
too rich can kill
Branches are brittle – no foot traffic
© Project SOUND

22. Pruning Saltbushes - easy
 In the wild, are eaten back
extensively by deer, elk,
rabbits
 In the garden, you are the
browser – with your pruners
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atriplex_canescens_inflor.jpg  Trim back about 1/3 the
length of branches in fall for a
neat look
 don’t cut back into old wood –
prune like a Salvia
 will rejuvenate the plant
 Can also hedge-shear
 For best habitat value, leave
some branches at the base –
i.e., leave it pruned as a shrub
© Project SOUND
http://allergy.peds.arizona.edu/southwest/grass_weeds/wingscale.htm

23. Four-wing Saltbush used
extensively in Southwestern
 As a shrub in commercial plantings
– low maintenance/little water
 Excellent water-wise hedge
 In plants with a desert plant
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Atriplex&Species=canescens
palette – used like Salvias or
Coyote Bush - silvery color
 For erosion control
 As a fire-retardant plant – with a
little summer water
 For re-claiming mine tailings &
other environmental problems
 Also used as dye plant (yellow &
‘Navajo Black’ & medicine (emetic)
http://www.delange.org/FourwingSaltbush/FourwingSaltbush.htm © Project SOUND

24. KEEPING LIZARDS OUTDOORS
 To prevent lizards from entering the home, seal all
openings 1/4 inch and larger.
 Check areas such as corners of doors and windows,
around water pipes, electrical service entrances,
ventilation screens, water pipes, etc.
 Tight-fitting door seals, with no gaps at the edges, are
important prevention measures.
 Unlike rats and mice, lizards cannot gnaw through
wood and other common building materials.
 A number of materials can be used to seal access
points, including insulating foam, caulking, flashing,
and steel wool.
© Project SOUND

25. Lycium species – the Boxthorns -
are also excellent habitat shrubs
 Dense, thorny foliage – good for
perching, hiding & nesting
 Flowers
 Fruits – eaten by birds, ground-
dwellers – high in vitamin C (in
Solanaceae,
like tomatoes)
© Project SOUND

26. California Boxthorn – Lycium californicum
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Lycium_californicum.html
© Project SOUND

27. Right at home on
the bluffs…
 Fine with salty soils,
salt-spray, high winds
& blowing sand
 Habitat is
disappearing – on
CNPS ‘rare’ watch list
© 2004 Michael Charters
© Project SOUND

28. Wolfberry – Lycium andersonii
© 2005 James M. Andre
© Project SOUND

29. Wolfberry – Lycium andersonii
 Plant of Southwestern deserts
and desert foothills
 Locally in Mojave Desert – tho’ a
report from PV
 Dry, stony hills, mesas in desert
http://www.graniteseed.com/seeds/seed.php?id=Lycium_andersonii
and creosote bush scrub – usually
along washes
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?7625,7636,7637
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College © Project SOUND

30. Charles Lewis Anderson, M.D. – a man
with a passion for Nevada plants
 Name commemorates Charles Lewis Anderson, MD (1827-
1910). Anderson practiced medicine in Carson City NV during
the years 1862-1867.
 Amazingly, in spite of all of his other endeavors, he found
the time to pursue his lifelong interest in botany. He was one
of the very first botanists to collect extensively in Nevada
 Many of the plants he collected turned out to be new to
science when examined by Asa Gray of Harvard, to whom
Anderson sent all his Nevada specimens.
 Anderson wrote the first flora of Nevada, and in its
introduction observed: "the country is as rich in vegetable
novelties as it is at all times in mineral wealth."
© Project SOUND

31. Wolfberry is a typical Boxthorn – all quite similar looking
 Size:
 usually 4-6 ft tall; to 10-12 ft
 to 10 ft wide; slow – probably long-
lived, even in water-wise gardens
 Growth form:
 Mounded woody shrub
 Very densely branched – good cover;
thorns
 Foliage:
 Small, fleshy leaves – larger with some
water
 Very different look from other foliage
– nice accent plant
 Roots: deep; surface roots also – typical
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
desert shrub; re-sprouts after fire or
major damage/pruning
© Project SOUND

32. http://www.schweich.com/imagehtml/IMGP2394sm.html
© Project SOUND

33. Flowers make the
desert bloom
 Blooms: in spring (Mar-May);
depends on timing of winter rains
 Flowers:
 Purple to white
 Small – but very nice shape &
lots of them - showy
 Good hummingbird plant
© Project SOUND

34. Fruits – think tomato
 Were used extensively as food
by native desert peoples: only
eat fully ripe fruits
 Raw
 Dried – raisin fashion
 Cooked for a sauce
 Dried and used as flavoring for
soups, stews
 Dried as a ‘leather’
 Very high in vitamins A, C and
E, flavanoids and other bio-
active compounds. Fairly good
source of essential fatty acids,
which is fairly unusual for a
fruit.
 Birds and small animals eat
http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos/bendcollections/images/Lycium%20andersonii_JPG.jpg
fruits & seeds – desert
packrats store them
© Project SOUND

35.  Soils:
Easy to grow with  Texture: must be well-drained –
benign neglect sandy or gravelly is best
 pH: any local is fine
 Fine with salty soils, water,
maritime exposures
 Light:
 Full sun is best
 Will take light shade (or some
afternoon shade) in hot gardens
 Water:
 Winter: rains usually suffice;
don’t over-water in clay soils
 Summer: quite drought
tolerant; looks best in Zone1-2
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lycium_andersonii
to 2 in garden setting
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils –
remember, it’s a desert plant
© Project SOUND

36. Garden uses for
Boxthorns
 Water-wise hedges
 As an accent plant; flowers &
foliage, red fruits
 As a container plant
 As all-round good habitat
© 1998 Larry Blakely plants: food, cover, nest
sites.
© Project SOUND

37. Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis
longipes
© Project SOUND

38. Fence Lizards are sometimes called ‘Bluebellies’
 2-4 inch body (snout-vent length);
total length of about 8-9 inches
 Brown to black in color (the brown
may be sandy or greenish)
 Most distinguishing character is
their bright blue belly; ventral side
of the limbs are yellow.
 Also have a blue patch on their
throat. This bright coloration is
faint or absent in both females and
juveniles.
Gold-speckled
one from PV
© Project SOUND

39. Probably our most
commonly seen lizard
 Found in a wide variety of open,
sunny habitats, including
woodlands, grasslands, scrub,
chaparral, forests, along
waterways, next to ponds, and
around suburban dwellings.
 Diurnal. Often seen basking in
the sun on rocks, downed logs,
trees, fences, and walls.
 Active when temperatures are
warm, becomes inactive during
periods of extreme heat or
cold. Probably active all year
when temperatures are
favorable and there is sun for
basking.
http://www.wildherps.com/species/S.occidentalis.html
© Project SOUND

40. Some people are a little afraid of lizards…
 The Western fence lizard eats beetles, flies,
caterpillars, ants, other insects, and spiders.
 If you're bigger than the lizard, it is a friend. -
If the lizard is bigger than you....run!
© Project SOUND

41. Interesting fact…lizards are indeed our friends
 Western Fence Lizards may reduce the incidence
of Lyme Disease in their range! It has recently
been discovered that when infected ticks feed on
the blood of these lizards, the Lyme disease
spirochetes they carry are destroyed. In areas
with Western Fence Lizards, about 5 percent of
ticks carry the disease, while in other areas 50
percent of ticks harbor the disease.
—Reported by the NY Times News Service, April 19, 1998.
© Project SOUND

42. A word about cats..
http://hannahgreenfield.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/bobcat.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/griff42/image/48377834
 Western Fence Lizards commonly sun themselves
on paths, rocks, and fence posts, and other high
places. Unfortunately, this behavior makes them
an easy target to predation by snakes, birds, and
even some mammals, like cats. They protect
themselves by employing their fast reflexes,
which is common in many other lizards. © Project SOUND

43. Guidelines for creating habitat
 Provide sunning spots – with cover close by
 Leave some areas relatively ‘human-free’ for most of the day
© Project SOUND

44. Chamise – Adenostoma fasciculatum
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND

45. Chamise – Adenostoma fasciculatum
 Foothills of CA south to Baja
– including Channel Islands
 Dry slopes & ridges;
chaparral & mesas below
5,000 ft.
 Most common chaparral
species throughout the
foothills and coastal
mountains of California -
present in ~ 70% of
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Adenostoma+fasciculatum
California chaparral.
 Also called ‘Greasewood’
© Project SOUND

46. Typical Chaparral site with Chamise
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum

47. Chamise blooming in Santa Monica Mtns
© Project SOUND

48. Chamise – a typical Chaparral shrub
 Size:
 6-10+ ft tall & wide
 size really depends in water
 Growth form:
 Dense, mounded shrub – excellent
cover plant for habitat
 Many stiff branches; bark is red-
brown (young) to peeling-gray
(older wood) – wood ‘greasy’
Steven Perkins @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
 Foliage:
 Leaves needle-like – in bundles
(fascicles) – hence the name
‘fasciculatum’
 Aromatic; can be deciduous in
drought
 Roots: sprouts from a burl after fires
– rejuvenation pruning
© 2008 Thomas Stoughton
© Project SOUND

49. Chamise and other Chaparral shrubs –
born to burn
 Small, dry, resinous
leaves
 Shreddy bark
 Oily wood
 Dead branches
 Ability to re-sprout
readily from a
sprouting stem/root
(the burl)
© 2008 BonTerra Consulting
In nature, Chamise burns every 10-40 years; stems older than about 50
years are exceedingly rare, but individual plants may be quite old
© Project SOUND

50. Flowers - really showy
 Blooms: any time from Feb-June;
usually April-May in the Madrona
Native Plant Garden
 Flowers:
 Small, tubular white/cream
flowers
 5 petals – looks like member
of Rose family
 Blooms clustered on long
flowering branches – literally
1000’s of blooms
 Attracts insect pollinators
 Seeds:
 Hard coats – require acid
scarification or brief
exposure to heat.
© Project SOUND

51. Chamise is one  Soils:
 Texture: any as long as it is
tough shrub fairly well-draining
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Full sun
 Water:
 Winter: don’t over-water
 Summer: very drought
tolerant, but better with
occasional summer water (Zone
1-2 or 2) – keeps it green
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: pinch low-growing forms
to keep low – will need severe
pruning to rejuvenate – you’re the
‘fire’
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/chamise.html
© Project SOUND

52. Chamise: might be right
for your garden
 Excellent choice for slopes –
good erosion control
 Brightens up an area in bloom
 Nice background plant –
interesting foliage shape, color
 Can be hedged or used as a
screen
 Of course, a great cover plant
for all sorts of ground-
dwellers – birds, lizards, small
mammals (rabbits, etc.).
 Teas/salves from foliage/bark
used for skin infections;
branches for arrow shafts
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/adenostoma-fasciculatum

53. Low-growing variety & cultivars
make nice woody groundcovers
 ‘Black Diamond’
 Dark green foliage
 Low-growing; can be used as a
groundcover or bonsai
‘Black Diamond’  ‘San Nicolas’
 Truly prostrate form from San
Nicolas Island
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/3358077566/in/set-72157621930969588/
Adenostoma fasciculatum var. prostatum
© Project SOUND

54. The California Towhee - Pipilo crissalis
© 2007 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net
© Project SOUND

55. Identifying your CA Towhee
 Length: 7.25 inches
 Conical bill
 Dark eye
 Brown crown
 Buffy throat
© 2007 Ron Wolf  Black ring of spots on
breast
 Pale gray underparts
 Brown upperparts
 Rusty undertail coverts
 Long tail
 Juvenile (Spring to Fall)
© 2008 Kim Cabrera
heavily streaked below
© Project SOUND

56. Habitat for CA
Towhee
 Preferred habitats include shady
underbrush, open woods, pinyon-
juniper woodlands, and suburban
gardens.
 Likes dense cover and leaf litter.
Leaf litter is good for many
birds as well as most California
native plants.
 The California Towhee forages in
the leaf litter by scratching,
with both feet at once, in a fast
hopping motion.
 They feed on seeds and insects
within the leaf litter or
occasionally on berries or seeds
in bushes.
© Project SOUND

57. Guidelines for creating habitat
 Let native plants go to seed or fruit
 Leave leaf litter if possible. Provides a home for insects – food
for ground-dwellers
© Project SOUND

58. * Parajo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos pajaroensis
© 1995 Dan Post
© Project SOUND

59. * Parajo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos pajaroensis
 Endemic to Santa Cruz and
Monterey counties in the
Monterey Bay region
 Maritime chaparral on deep
to shallow, sandy soils or
sandstone outcroppings -
sometimes on edges of Oak
Woodlands
 Used as one parent in
several horticultural hybrid
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Arctostaphylos+pajaroensis
cultivars – very attractive
foliage
© Project SOUND

60. Parajo Manzanita – exceptionally attractive
 Size:
 4-8+ ft tall
 6-8 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Woody shrub/small tree
 Mounded/sprawling to erect
 Typical red bark
 evergreen
 Foliage:
 Leaves dense, somewhat
erect
 Color: blue-green – with red-
orange tips to new growth
 Very attractive-looking
© Project SOUND

61. Flowers are fantastic –
of course!
 Blooms: winter - usually Dec-Feb
in western L.A. Co.
 Flowers:
 Typical small flowers of
manzanita – urn-shaped
 Light to darker pink
 Thousands at one time – this is
among the showier flowerers
 Hummingbird magnet
 Fragrant!
 Fruits:
 Edible
 Loved-by fruit-eaters of all
sorts
© 2004 Aaron Schusteff
© Project SOUND

62.  Soils:
Plant Requirements  Texture: likes a sandy soil –
comes form N. CA coast
 pH: very slightly acid best – 6.0-
7.0
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: don’t over-water
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/
 Summer: best with occasional
water (Zone 1-2 or 2), but quite
drought tolerant near coast
 Fertilizer: none; use an organic
mulch
 Other: looks best with little
pruning, but can be shaped – even
kept below 3 ft.
© Project SOUND

63. Parajo Manzanita is great for
coastal gardens
 Prune up for a small, dense tree –
good nesting sites
 Use as a specimen/accent shrub
– very attractive year-round,
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-pajaroensis-paradise-manzanita
with sculptural shape
 As an all-round habitat plant –
winter nectar, fruits and cover-
nest sites
 Has an ‘old-fashioned look’ –
perfect for Edwardian or
Victorian garden
 Nice addition to a scent garden
© Project SOUND
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2994359348/

64. ‘Sunset’
 Hybrid - A. pajaroensis x A. hookeri
ssp. hookeri
 Very colorful new foliage
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/
 Low-growing – to about 3-4 ft
 Chosen for garden hardiness
http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
© Project SOUND

65. ‘Myrtle Wolf’
 Naturally occurring
cultivar
 Particularly attractive
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/waterwise/images/05_Arctostaphylos-cv-MWolf5.jpg
 Bright/dark pink flowers
 Light blue-green foliage
 4-5 ft tall & wide
 Takes a little more heat
– good for hot banks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/
© Project SOUND

66. ‘Paradise’
 Naturally
occurring cultivar
from Regional
Parks Botanic
Garden
 5-6 ft tall; 6-10
ft wide
 Exceptional new
foliage color
 Needs very good
drainage
http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_plants/pages_a/arcpajpar.html
http://drystonegarden.com/ © Project SOUND

67. ‘Warren Roberts’
 Very dense, blue-green foliage
 Upright habit – good for small
tree – 6 ft tall, 10 ft wide
 Slate-blue/green foliage – really
nice color
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157608574988902/ © Project SOUND

68. ‘Lester Rountree’
 Hybrid: A. parajoensis X
? A. obispoensis
http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/category/california-native-plants/page/2/
 8-10 ft tall & wide
 Open, sculptural growth
habit
 Light blue-green foliage
– almost a gray-blue cast
– nice as accent color
© Project SOUND
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/84/268090756_f6a54c9577.jpg

69. California Legless Lizard - Anniella pulchra
© Project SOUND

70. CA Legless Lizard is  A small (pencil-sized) slender
lizard with no legs, a shovel-
unique shaped snout, smooth shiny
scales, and a blunt tail.
 Sometimes confused for a
snake, (which has no eyelids)
but on close observation the
presence of eyelids is
apparent when this lizard
blinks.
 Dorsal coloration varies from
metallic silver, beige, dark
brown, to black. Ventral
coloration varies from
whitish to bright yellow.
 Typically there is a dark line
along the back and several
thin stripes between scale
rows along the sides where
the dorsal and ventral colors
meet, but variants Project SOUND
©
occur.

71. Legless Lizard Habitat – loose sandy soils
Though common in
some areas, this
species is considered
a species of special
concern, and legal
collecting is limited to
one specimen per
collector.
 This is a wide-ranging species common in drier, loose sandy soils,
from inland foothills to coastal dunes. This species prefers cooler
temperatures (60-65° F) and is rarely encountered above ground
or near the surface in higher temperatures.
© Project SOUND

72. If you have sandy
soil, you may see
the Legless Lizard
in your garden
http://www.wildherps.com/species/A.pulchra.html
 Forages in loose soil, sand, and leaf litter during the day.
 Sometimes found on the surface at dusk and at night. Apparently
active mostly during the morning and evening when they rest
beneath the surface of loose soil or leaf litter which has been
warmed by the sun.
 Eats primarily larval insects, beetles, termites, and spiders.
Conceals itself beneath leaf litter or substrate then ambushes
its prey.
 Good Habitat: Leaf litter under trees and bushes in sunny areas.
Often can be found under surface objects such as rocks, boards,
driftwood, and logs. Can also be found by gently raking leaf litter
under bushes and trees. Sometimes found in suburban gardens in
Southern California. © Project SOUND

73. Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E. et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU
Extension and Western Area Power Admin., Bismarck, ND. © Project SOUND

74. Three-lobe Sumac – Rhus trilobata
 Naturally occurring:
 Many areas of western N. America –
Canada to Baja
 Coastal and mountain areas of CA
 In S. CA: coastal sage scrub, chaparral
and southern oak woodland
 Moist areas including stream-sides,
seasonal drainages, and canyon bottoms
 sand dunes and sand hills
 dry rocky slopes
 In same genus as Lemonade Berry,
Sugar Bush & Poison Oak (which it
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Rhus+trilobata resembles)
 Also known as Basket-brush, Sumac,
Sourberry, Skunkbrush
© Project SOUND

75. Pretty in nature & at home….
 Size:
 3-4 ft tall, sometimes more
 4-6 ft+ wide
 Foliage:
 Deciduous
 Interesting leaf shape
 Good fall color
 Growth Form/Shape:
 Many-branched
 Rounded; mound-like; some variants are
more low-lying
 Spreads by rhizomes – but not
aggressive
 Can be pruned to very formal shape or
left more open
© Project SOUND

76. Three-lobed Sumac is loved by gardeners
because it’s so easy to grow…
 Soils: not too particular
 Any texture; well-drained
 Any pH
 Light: full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Very drought tolerant when established
 Can take some summer water – but may
become leggy
 Nutrients: fine with no fertilizer, but can
tolerate light doses/organic mulches
 Very hardy; takes a frost
 Rapid growth first 3-5 years; then
moderate
 Lives 20-30 years
http://weather.nmsu.edu/nmcrops/ornamentals/SUMAC.htm
© Project SOUND

77. Three-lobe Sumac
pleases the palette…
 Yellow flowers in spring
 Butterflies & bees
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Rhus_trilobata  Red berries in summer
.html
 Birds love them (many species
 Make a tangy drink
 Excellent for jelly
 Can even eat them raw (tart)
 Even the foliage is eaten
occasionally by large & small animals
Many parts of the plant are used for
natural dyes
© Project SOUND

78. Garden uses for
Three-lobe Sumac
 As an accent/specimen plant:
 showy red berries in summer
 Fall foliage (several months)
 As a barrier plant
For bank stabilization & along
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~plants-c/bio414/species%20pages/rhus%20trilobata.htm

streambeds
 In a bird/animal habitat garden
 As a windscreen or hedge
 As a foundation plant
 Along sunny walls
 Just about any situation requiring a
nice, medium-sized shrub
http://www.nazflora.org/rhus_trilobata.htm
© Project SOUND

79. White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow
© Project SOUND

80. White-crowned Sparrow - Zonotrichia leucophrys
 Size & Shape
 The White-crowned Sparrow is a large sparrow
with a small bill and a long tail. The head can look
distinctly peaked or smooth and flat, depending
on the bird’s attitude.
 Color Pattern
 First impressions of White-crowned Sparrows
tend to be of a plain, pale-gray bird; next your
eye is drawn to the very bold black-and-white
stripes on the head and the pale pink or yellow
bill. Learn this bird's size and shape so you're
ready to identify young birds that have brown,
not black, markings on the head.
© Project SOUND
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-crowned_Sparrow/id

81. You likely have some White-crowns in
your garden
 They forage on the ground or
in low vegetation, but
sometimes make short flights
to catch flying insects.
 They forage on the ground in
open areas, with sheltered
thickets nearby for cover.
They use a two-footed
scratching maneuver to locate
food in the leaf litter.
 They mainly eat seeds, other
plant parts (grass leaves,
fruits, seeds, buds) and
insects. In winter, they often
forage in flocks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-crowned_Sparrow
© Project SOUND

82. Guidelines for creating habitat
 Provide water at ground
level (or close)
 Provide cover near the
water source – lower
branches
© Project SOUND

83. CA Mugwort - Artemisia douglasiana
© Project SOUND

84. CA Mugwort - Artemisia douglasiana
 Much of non-desert CA: WA to Baja
 Many Plant Communities including
Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral,
Freshwater Marsh, Mountain Meadow,
Mixed-evergreen Forest, Southern
Oak Woodland
 A plant of moist/riparian places
 Named for David Douglas (1798-1834),
Scottish botanist who made several
journeys to America. Douglas provided
the material from which some 300
species of California plants were to be
described
 ‘Mugwort’ from use of this species in
http://www.swsbm.com/Maps/Artemisia_douglasiana.gif
mugs to flavor beer prior to hops
© Project SOUND

85. Mugwort characteristics  Size:
 1-5 ft tall
 Increases; spreading via
underground stems (rhizomes)
 Growth form:
 Perennial shrub arising from a
rhizome
 Stems are stout, upright
 Foliage:
 Bright green fading to gray-
green; white below
 Most of the leaves low on the
stems
 Flowers:
 Summer: June to Oct, depending
on year
 Yellow-green; small and not very
noticeable
 Once again, typical for sunflower
family
© Project SOUND
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/mugwort.html

86. Garden conditions
 Soils:
 Texture: any
 pH: any
 Light:
 full sun to partial shade;
 brighter green in shadier areas
 Water:
 Winter: moist soils; tolerates
flooding
 Summer:
 Low summer needs once
established; once a month fine
 Will spread with summer water –
can become invasive
 Fertilizer: none needed; organic
mulch would work well
 Other: prune back heavily in fall
to keep it looking good
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Artemisia-douglasiana/ © Project SOUND

87. Uses for CA Mugwort
 Ground cover on naturally
landscaped slopes, hillsides
 Under trees/shrubs like Mule Fat
 In planters & pots – contained
situations
 For erosion control
 For habitat: seeds, foliage, insects
and cover for ground dwellers
This is an important medicine plant
for Native Californians. Used as a
purifying plant in ceremonies. Also
good for treating stomach & other
gastrointestinal illnesses
© Project SOUND

88. Guidelines for creating habitat in your own
garden
 Provide dense shrub/grass cover –
perching, cover & nest sites
 Provide a brush pile/logs for
cover
 Provide sunning spots – with cover
close by
 Leave some areas relatively
‘human-free’ for most of the day
 Let native plants go to seed/fruit
 Provide water at ground level (or
close)
 Provide cover near the water
Try to minimize effect of source – lower branches
cats
© Project SOUND

89. © Project SOUND